Refusing To Run
by CayleeElizabeth
Summary: Caroline Forbes has been running from Klaus for over 30 years but when she returns to Mystic Falls for a funeral she makes the decision to stop running. This is my first fanfic. Please be kind. Klaroline/Steroline. R&R - Back in action - Epilogue is up.
1. Chapter 1

Refusing to Run

I.

Elena sat quietly in her room, curled up into a chair looking through a small box of memories that she had saved over the years. It had been over sixty years since Stefan Salvatore came into her life. Over sixty years since supernatural mayhem invaded the small town of Mystic falls. Elena was well into her 80's and was dying. Cancer had invaded her body and it wouldn't be long until death finally took her. She was amazed really that she had managed to stay alive this long, and not only that but stayed human.

She sighed quietly to herself as she leafed through the photographs and letters that filled her box of memories. Pictures of her and Stefan. Pictures of herself with Bonnie and Caroline. Pictures of her and Matt with their two children. Pictures of her children with her grandchildren.

Elena had lived a full life. After everything that had happened, she finally had settled down with Matt Donovan and together they created a life and family together, as they tried to forget all of the evil that had once ran amok in Mystic Falls. She had loved Matt and when he passed away five years earlier her heart broke.

Everyone that had survived in her small circle of friends had returned for Matt's funeral and she was grateful for that. However, there were faces that were missing. Bonnie and Damon had both died prior to Matt's passing.

She had called Stefan and asked him to come, and as she heard him quietly come up the stairs her heart still managed to skip a beat. After everything Stephan had always been there. Never more than a phone call away. He always managed to pop-in on occasion and he still loved her even after all this time.

"Stephan…" Elena said quietly as she turned her head to look at him standing in her doorway. He smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame.

"Hello Elena." Stefan uncrossed his arms and crossed the room to where Elena sat. He knelt down in front her and placed his hands on her knees. Elena had aged but when Stefan looked at her all he saw was young beautiful Elena. His green eyes softened with love as he looked up at her and she smiled down at him. Stefan was her angel; never aging, never changing. He was still perfect and he still loved her.

"I'm dying Stefan." Elena choked out the words as her fingers fumbled with the photograph that she held in her hands. Stefan already knew before she said anything. He saw it as soon as he looked at her. The bright aura that always surrounded her was now dim and gray. He knew there wasn't much time.

"I know," he said quietly. He raised his hand to her cheek and stroked it softly. Elena let out a quiet sniffle and wiped away a stray tear that had managed to escape.

"Please keep my family safe." Elena looked at Stefan steadily as he nodded in acknowledgement. Peace had fallen upon Mystic Falls for some time now, however Stefan knew that as long as the Gilbert/Petrova line continued there would always be a threat. Klaus and his family along with other evil entities that still roamed the earth were waiting for the day to come to once again wreak havoc on Elena's family and this small town.

"I promise," he whispered quietly. Stefan stood and gently scooped Elena up out of her chair, cradling her against him as he carried her to her bed and carefully laid her down. He moved along to the other side of the bed and lay down on top of the blankets next to her, pulling her against him, letting her head fall on his chest.

II.

Three days after Stefan had arrived back to Mystic Falls Elena had passed on. Not long after that Stefan was standing in the cemetery among family and friends for her funeral. Caroline had come and stood next to Stefan squeezing tightly onto his hand as tears streamed down her cheeks.

It was a cold rainy day befitting for the mood around Elena's grave. After the priest spoke his finally 'Amen' everyone broke off into small groups, comforting each other as they walked to their cars. Stefan and Caroline hung back, still standing next to each other but no longer holding hands.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N – OMG guys! I am so sorry about having that little drabble of Chapter 2 smooshed in there with Chapter 1! I forgot that I had started working on it before I had published Chapter 1. Thank you so much for the reviews already and for all of you who have decided to follow me! I can't even believe it. I know this chapter is short but I promise in the next chapter Klaus will finally make his appearance. I also just wanted to warn you guys that I am a full-time working mom of 2 so I probably won't be able to update as often as I would like so I apologize now for that. So anyway – here is the complete version of Chapter 2! Enjoy!**_

II.

Three days after Stefan had arrived back to Mystic Falls Elena had passed on. Not long after that Stefan was standing in the cemetery among family and friends for her funeral. Caroline had come and stood next to Stefan squeezing tightly onto his hand as tears streamed down her cheeks.

It was a cold rainy day befitting for the mood around Elena's grave. After the priest spoke his finally 'Amen' everyone broke off into small groups, comforting each other as they walked to their cars. Stefan and Caroline hung back, still standing next to each other but no longer holding hands.

"Are you going to stay?" Caroline asked as she stared at the fresh grave.

"For a while…" Stefan trailed off, "I promised to look over her family." Caroline nodded as she began to dig a hole into the ground with the toe of her shoe. "What about you?" Stefan asked as he tore his gaze away from Elena's grave to look at the tall blonde standing next to him.

Caroline sighed and shook her head. "No, I can't stay. I'm sure Klaus heard about Elena and is probably already on his way here to find me." Stefan nodded as he buried his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. After a couple more minutes of silence Caroline finally turned to Stefan.

"I should go now," Caroline said quietly and hugged Stefan tightly. Stefan nodded again and rubbed her back lightly.

"Maybe I'll see you in Rome or Paris sometime soon," he said with a half-smile which Caroline returned.

As Caroline got into her car she sighed heavily and rested her head on the steering wheel, letting the weight of her sadness smother her. After a few quiet moments she straightened back up and looked out in front of her. She should leave. Mystic Falls is not safe for her. Nowhere is actually, with Klaus always hot on her trail. She should leave but as she looked out onto the small town that will always be her home and then back to Stefan she knew she couldn't. Not yet.

_"This is really stupid, Caroline,"_ she muttered to herself as she started the engine and headed to the nearest Bed and Breakfast instead of the freeway like she should.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N – Can I just say that you guys are awesome? Thank you so much for the positive reviews and for everyone who is putting this story on alert! I really don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't seen the finale yet but I just want to shout a big 'F-U' to the writers' of the show for royally screwing with my head all night. Thanks! Anyway, here's Chapter III, and please feel free to shower me with some more of your love!_

III.

Caroline walked into her room at the local B&B. It was small but cozy and had its own private bathroom along with a mini-fridge and microwave. She threw her bags on the bed and opened the one that contained her bloodbags. She sat on the bed kicking off her shoes and lazily drank from one of the bags as she looked out the window. She knew he was coming, she could almost sense it.

When she finished her snack she put the remaining bloodbags in the fridge then proceeded to the bathroom to take a shower. As she stood in the shower, letting the hot water pelt her, making her pale skin turn pink, she finally let the grief overtake her. She leaned forward gripping the tiled wall as her body shook with mournful sobs. It hurt so bad, and she so desperately wanted to just turn her emotions off but she knew she couldn't do that.

The water had turned cold and the tears had finally begun to stop. As she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower she immediately froze. He was here, in her room. Caroline couldn't see or hear him but she knew he was there, could almost feel his eyes burning a hole through the closed bathroom door. For a fleeting second she desperately searched the small bathroom for a means of escape, but of course there was no window, just the door that led to her certain death. She quickly grabbed the lone towel that was hanging from the door and wrapped herself in it. She was shaking but she refused to break. She would not let Klaus know how scared she really was.

_'Damn you Caroline! You could have at least remembered to bring in your robe.'_ She cursed herself as her hand gripped the doorknob and opened the door to her certain fate.

"Hello, Love." Klaus said coyly with his stupid smirk and his stupid blue eyes. Caroline bit her lip and crossed her arms, refusing to leave the doorway to the bathroom. Klaus sat at the edge of her bed, elbows resting on his knees as his eyes scanned over her towel clad body. The smugness in his face infuriated Caroline but the fear began to shake at her core. Her mind was screaming at her '_Run! Run!' _but her legs refused to move. She pushed her fear to the side and let the anger take over.

"Seriously, Klaus? You couldn't give me _one_ day?" Klaus may have been slightly taken aback by her reaction but he would never show it.

"Honestly Love, I'm a little surprised that you're still in this one pony town. I figured you would have been half way to Kalamazoo by now."

"I'm not Katherine, Klaus. I'm not going to spend the rest of my eternity running from _you_." Caroline ground her teeth feeling a little proud of her Katherine dig, but the feeling didn't last.

"If that's so, then why have you been running for the past three decades?" Klaus looked up at her with somewhat questioning eyes.

"I would say evading is more like it." Caroline gave Klaus her own smirk and walked to the bed. Klaus watched her every move, but Caroline was fairly certain that if he was going to kill her he would have done it by now. She dug through her duffel bag and pulled out a pair of yoga pants and tank top then proceeded to go back into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.

Caroline took her time getting dressed and even longer brushing her hair. She knew deep down Klaus would still be there when she finally left the safety of her bathroom but a girl could hope right? Finally with a huff, Caroline exited the bathroom.

"You don't have to take so much time trying to get pretty for me, Love. You're already perfect," Klaus said with his signature smirk. Caroline sighed loudly but kept her distance from the hybrid. She was so done playing his game.

"If you're going to kill me Klaus, can you just do it already?" Caroline asked though she already knew the answer. Before Caroline could blink Klaus was in front of her, only a couple of inches separated their bodies as he pressed his hands against the wall, trapping her.

"If I do decide to end your life Caroline, it will not be done quickly. I can promise you that." Caroline looked up to the ceiling exasperated, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the closeness.

"Well then what are _you_ going to do Klaus?" Klaus dropped his hands and shrugged.

"I haven't quite decided yet. You participated in the murder of my sister. You befriended her, only to betray her with your pathetic witch and obnoxious Damon for which they both paid for with their lives." Klaus gingerly let his finger wrap around one of Caroline's blonde curls and she felt her body shudder. "But I just can't seem to figure out _wha_t to do with you my dear." Caroline snarled at Klaus, letting her fangs show.

"Well I wish you would figure it out already. And I really don't think Bonnie was such a _'pathetic witch' _considering she found a way to kill Rebekah." Klaus sighed loudly and moved away from Caroline towards the door.

"Yes well, it seems that I've had enough of this conversation for one day. I suggest you stay in town for a while, I'm growing tired of chasing your around this god-forsaken earth." With that Klaus exited her room leaving behind his musky scent. Caroline growled loudly and grabbed the closest thing to her, a small table lamp, and threw it at the door, the lamp breaking into large shards of glass.

"Go to HELL Klaus!" Caroline screamed after him, only hearing his mocking laugh in return as he walked down the hall.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N – Hey guys! I'm not going to be able to update this weekend so I wanted to make sure I got this out today for you. This is solely a Steroline chapter (I just love their friendship) so don't get mad that there is no Klaus. I promise he won't be gone for long! I love you guys! Enjoy!**_

IV

It had been two days since Elena's funeral. Caroline hadn't left her room, afraid that she'd run into Klaus if she left. Her supply of blood was getting low however, and Stefan hadn't returned any of her phone calls or texts. She was worried about what kind of state Stefan was in and decided to use the excuse of needing more blood to go and see him. Caroline quickly showered and dressed, grabbed one of her empty duffel bags and headed to her car. She did a quick scan of her surroundings and saw no sign of Klaus causing her to sigh in relief.

Caroline quickly drove to the boarding house constantly checking her rearview mirror making sure a certain hybrid Original was not tailing her. As she pulled into the long drive she noticed Stefan's car parked next to the house. She stalled for a moment as she stood outside the door, debating whether she should just go in or ring the bell first. She wasn't exactly sure what she would be walking into so she decided to ring the bell a couple times. Stefan's humanity switch never fully went back on after Klaus managed to short-circuit it so many years ago and an image of dismembered female bodies scattering the foyer quickly flashed through her mind. She heard nothing as she stood waiting for an answer and groaned inwardly to herself as she slowly opened the front door, keeping her eyes closed for a second before she looked in.

There were no dead bodies, however what she did see wasn't much better. Empty bottles of liquor along with empty bloodbags littered the floor and stairway leading up to Stefan's bedroom. She kicked away an empty bottle of scotch from her path as she entered the house and closed the door behind her with a loud thud.

"Stefan! It's Caroline! I know you're here!" She started walking up the steps to his room, picking up the path of litter along the way. "You know," she continued to yell "If you're going to leave your house looking like this the least you could do is compel someone to clean up after you!" There was still no sound and Caroline was starting to get nervous that maybe Stefan had decided to stake himself into oblivion. As she neared Stefan's room she noticed that the door was open just a crack. She used one of the empty bottles in her hand to slowly push the door open. Once again, keeping her eyes closed for a moment, afraid of what she might find.

Stefan sat at his desk, sat not being the best term, more like slouched; his arms covering his head resting on the desktop. The stench of old stale liquor overwhelmed her and she fought the urge to gag.

"Stefan?" Caroline asked quietly, not sure if he was awake or not. All she got in return was a low groan from the defeated man in front of her.

"Stefan," she said a little louder this time as she walked into the room, dropping the trash that she had collected into the wastebasket. "You can ignore me if you want, but I'm not leaving."

"I thought you left two days ago," he mumbled still not raising his head.

"Well if you checked your phone once in a while you would have known that I decided to stay," Caroline said sharply, wishing he would just sit up straight and look at her so she could assess the damage.

"Klaus will find you." Stefan finally raised his head and oh hell did he look terrible. His hair was a mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was drawn and pale. A hot shower was definitely in order.

"He already has." Stefan's eyes shot to life for a split second and his body straightened.

"What did he do?" Stefan asked as his eyes glanced over Caroline's body quickly looking for any sign of injury.

"Nothing," Caroline quipped. "He just blew in, puffed out his chest, said a couple hollow threats and then left."

"That's it?" Stefan asked, not really believing that he was getting the full story.

"For now, I guess." Caroline shrugged. "He's still trying to figure out 'what to do with me'." She raised her hands and made quotation marks in the air. Stefan smiled at this. Not a fake smile but a genuine one.

"You are Klaus' greatest weakness, you know that Caroline?"

"Yeah well, he can bite the dust for all I care. I'm not going to be scared anymore. I'm not going to run anymore. If he wants a fight I'll be more than happy to give him one." Stefan laughed a little which made Caroline beam with happiness.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N – I just wanted to thank you all for the kind reviews and for putting this story on alert. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to shower me with some more of you love!_

V

After about an hour of catching up Caroline finally made her way down to the basement of the boarding house and filled her bag with a fresh supply of blood while Stefan showered. Before she left, she finished picking up the mess that Stefan had made of his home and left a note on the table telling him she'd be back in a couple days and to be ready cause she was taking him out.

Caroline felt better after leaving Stefan and the boarding house. However, that feeling quickly went away as she pulled into the parking lot of the B&B and saw Klaus standing outside waiting for her. She sat in her car, letting the engine idle, as she contemplated her options. 1) She could turn around and never look back. 2) She could get out of the car and face Klaus. Or 3) she could run the dick over. Caroline liked option 3 the best. She knew it wouldn't kill him but it would definitely make her feel a little bit better. Before she could even stop herself, she felt her foot push down on the gas and felt the car start to speed toward Klaus. _'Shit!' _her mind is screaming at her, but her foot does not let off the gas. Just when her car is within inches of bringing Klaus down, he stealthily sidesteps out of the way causing her car to crash head on with a mailbox. Caroline lets out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding in. She really should have known better. Of course Klaus would get out of the way. The only way she could have possibly run him over was if he let her, and she knew that was never going to happen. Refusing to look at Klaus just yet, she decided to stall and back her car up into the nearest parking spot. She could feel his eyes on her as she turned off the engine but remained in the car.

"Get out of the car, Caroline," Klaus said, quickly losing his patience. Caroline really couldn't help herself. She was feeling a little feisty.

"Make me!" She spat back, attempting her best 'death stare'. Klaus growled low in his throat and walked over to her car, opening the door, almost ripping it off its hinges. He reached in and grabbed Caroline's arm, pulling her out roughly then proceeded to push her up against the car, both hands on her shoulders. She could see the rage in his eyes, but she wasn't about to back down now.

"What exactly, were you trying to accomplish with that stunt?" Caroline shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"I think it's pretty obvious Klaus." Klaus growled again and pushed her even harder against her car. She could feel the fiberglass denting under the force.

"I don't appreciate your attitude as of late and if I were you I'd start putting it in check if you wish to see another day."

"I can't help it. This is what you bring out of me." Caroline smiled sweetly and raised her hands to his shoulders, pushing him off her with all her might. Klaus was taken aback for a moment, surprised that she was able to push him off of her, but quickly regrouped and was only a couple of steps behind her as she walked toward the entrance to the B&B.

"Caroline," Klaus growled as he grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around and face him.

"What do you _want _Klaus? Honestly, why are you still here? You already said you don't know what to do with me. Is it because you're trying to come up with some evil plot to further fuck with Elena's family? Tell me Klaus!" Caroline was beyond furious as she struggled to pull her arm free from Klaus' grasp. Klaus however, only gripped onto her arm tighter and pulled her towards him so that she was only a couple of inches away from him. He felt the anger flood over him as his nostrils flared and the tiny vein in his forehead popped out.

"It's _you_ Caroline!" Klaus growled as he tugged on her arm, trying to make her understand. "You're the reason I'm here, and it's not because I want to kill you!" Klaus paused and took a deep breath in trying to calm himself. "I'm drawn to you Caroline. You're like gravity to me. Every time I try to pull away your force pulls me back in." Caroline looked up at Klaus, feeling her heart skip a beat. This was definitely _not_ good. "Do you honestly think Caroline, that I've chased you around the globe for the past three decades because I wanted to kill you? I followed you because it was supposed to be _me_ Caroline. _ I_ was the one who was supposed to travel the world with you. I saw you in Greece and Tokyo by yourself. I saw you in Rome and Paris with Stefan. I even saw you in Egypt with your stupid mutt Tyler." Caroline could see the hurt in his eyes, the love. She was scared.

"Please let me go," Caroline whispered, feeling her heart in her throat. Klaus didn't though. Instead he gripped on to her arm tighter, pulling her against him. Then it happened. His mouth came crashing down onto hers. Caroline's eyes widened as she felt his lips on hers, felt all the emotion come pouring out of him. Then her eyes closed and she began to kiss him back, feeling her body melt against him, feeling a little purr come from the back of her throat. Klaus pulled back slightly and Caroline instinctively tilted her face up silently asking for more. She felt Klaus' hands move up to the sides of her face, cupping her cheeks, stroking them softly. She was about to lean in for another kiss when she started to feel his hands tighten around her face. Before she could react or even blink, she heard the loud _'SNAP'_ of her neck and everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N – Did you know that you guys are absolutely amazing? There's just so much about this story that I love and I'm so glad that you all love it too! I don't know if any of you have ever read or watched 'Gone With The Wind' but if you have I'm sure that you have noticed that I am completely channeling Scarlett through Caroline and Rhett through Klaus. Anyway, here's another Steroline chapter, enjoy!_

VI

Caroline awoke with a splitting headache, groaning loudly she buried her face into the pillow that her head was resting on. Then it hit her like a tidal wave. _Klaus had killed her! He snapped her freaking neck! _Caroline jolted upright and quickly looked at her surroundings. She was more than surprised to realize that she was tucked into her own bed in her own room at the B&B. She thought for sure that she would be chained up in Klaus' dungeon, if he had a dungeon that is. Caroline let out a huff and laid back down on the bed staring at the ceiling for a moment. Maybe it was a dream? No, the throbbing in her brain was proof enough that Klaus had actually broken her neck. Then she remembered the kiss. How could she have given into him so easily? She scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head back and forth as she tried to push the memory out of her mind. It was her vampire sex drive; she would have to chalk it up to that for now. She wasn't really ready to admit to anything else just yet.

Caroline sat back up and looked at her nightstand to see what time it was when she noticed a small piece of paper folded in half resting there. Very slowly she reached for the piece of paper and gingerly unfolded it.

_Meet me at Lombardo's Friday 7:00. Don't be late. Fondly – Klaus_

"Seriously?" Caroline folded the note back up and quickly reached for her phone, praying Stefan would answer her call.

_"Caroline," _Stefan groaned through the receiver. _"You said a couple days. It's barely been one."_

"I don't want to hear it Stefan! This is an emergency! Meet me at Starbucks in an hour." She hung up quickly, not even giving Stefan the chance to argue with her.

Caroline stood outside of Starbucks, impatiently tapping her foot with two cups of coffee in her hands. Stefan was late and she was beginning to think that she was going to have to go to the boarding house and drag him out when she finally saw him come around the corner.

"You're late." Caroline quipped as she eyed Stefan. He looked better than yesterday, but not by much.

"I'm here," Stefan shrugged as he pulled out a metal flask and took a swig from it.

"Seriously, Stefan? It's like 10 am! Here, drink this instead," Caroline said as she pushed a cup of coffee into his hand. Stefan took a sip of the coffee, scrunching up his nose in disgust.

"It's missing something." Stefan set the coffee down and pulled the top off, inspecting its contents for a second, then pulled out his flask and poured some of his alcohol into the coffee. Caroline huffed in annoyance as he brought the cup of coffee back to his lips. "That's better. So Caroline, what's the big emergency?" Caroline started walking and Stefan quickly matched her step.

"Klaus killed me," Caroline stated matter-of-factly causing Stefan to choke on his coffee.

"He did what?" Caroline threw up her one hand exasperated that she was going to have to relive the events of yesterday.

"He snapped my neck Stefan!" Stefan looked at her from the corner of his eye, waiting for more but didn't get it.

"You're going to have to elaborate a little bit Caroline. I'm not fully getting it." Caroline huffed and pick up her pace slightly.

"Klaus was waiting for me at the B&B yesterday when I got back from seeing you. I _may_ have tried running him over with my car." Stefan laughed out loud at this.

"You _can't_ be serious Caroline?"

"Yeah well, he wouldn't leave me alone," Caroline half whined. "So, he pulls me out of the car, threatens me, then chases after me and decides he wants to open his heart to me." Caroline thought about stopping there, but she had to tell _someone_ about the kiss and Stefan was really the only friend she had left. "Then he kissed me, and immediately after that, he snapped my neck." Stefan stopped walking and it took Caroline a couple of moments to realize that she was now walking down the sidewalk by herself. With a huff, Caroline turned around and walked back to where Stefan was standing.

"Sounds like foreplay," Stefan said with a shrug and a wink.

"Whatever!" Caroline half screamed. "It gets better by the way. When I finally came to I found _this _sitting on my nightstand." Caroline shoved the note that Klaus had left for her into Stefan's chest. Stefan opened the note, read it, then laughed out loud again.

"I told you it was foreplay Caroline." He paused folding the note back up. "Lombardo's huh? Fancy. Make sure you try the veal parm, it's to die for." Caroline rolled her eyes and snatched the note back out of Stefan's hand.

"So not funny, Stefan!" Stefan smiled and started walking again.

"It's a little bit funny. I don't really see what the 'emergency' is though. Are you planning on not going? Cause I wouldn't recommend that, unless you want another broken neck."

"Oh, I'm going. And you're going to help me find a dress. " Stefan stopped again, causing Caroline to once again backtrack her steps. She pulled on his arm forcing him to start moving again. "I want something that says _I know you want me, but you can't have me_." Stefan groaned loudly in protest but Caroline ignored him and kept pulling him along to nearest dress shop.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – OMG work totally kicked my ass today! I planned on having this up hours ago, but they had me working it like a dancer today. Anyway, thank you guys so much for all of the reviews and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! xoxo

VII

Caroline stood in front of her mirror, inspecting herself closely. Friday had come faster than she would have liked and she was starting to have second thoughts about meeting Klaus for dinner. She hadn't seen or heard from him since the day he kissed her then decided to break her neck. Carefully clasping her necklace around her neck, Caroline sighed loudly and did one final inspection.

Stefan wasn't much help in choosing the perfect dress for tonight. Every dress she showed him only got a "Hm, yeah that one looks great. Can we go now?" out of him. Sometimes she just wanted to smash his head against the wall. The dress she finally ended up choosing, with zero help from Stefan, was a simple black strapless with almost no back to it at all. It wasn't too short but came to just above her knees, and with a pair of hot pink stilettos, she knew she looked fabulous.

Caroline pulled her hair up loosely, letting a few stray curls fall around her neck and did a final check of her make-up. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and realized she was running late. _'Let the big bad wolf wait' _she thought to herself as she stalled for a moment longer before she grabbed her keys and headed out.

Caroline pulled up to the restaurant ten minutes after seven, and after handing her keys to the valet and her jacket to the coat check, she was finally ushered to a small table in the back of the restaurant where Klaus was seated.

"You're late," Klaus said as he stood and pulled Caroline's chair out for her.

"You're lucky I came at all Klaus," Caroline replied back sharply as she took in Klaus' appearance. The man certainly knew how to pull off a simple black suit and white dress shirt.

"Of course I am", Klaus replied sarcastically. "You look absolutely stunning this evening," Klaus continued as he sat back down and handed Caroline the wine list. "Have you been here before?" Klaus asked as he looked up from his menu.

"Thank you, and no, I haven't. Apparently Stefan has however, and he suggested I try the Veal Parmesan." Klaus smirked and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Ah, Stefan, how is my old friend?" Caroline shrugged, not really sure if she wanted to have _this_ conversation with Klaus.

"He seems to be managing since Elena…passed." Klaus smiled at Caroline's pause.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Caroline," Klaus said sincerely. "I know she was your best friend." Caroline sighed quietly.

"Hm, well, I guess it was a loss for you too, considering she was your doppelganger." Caroline glared at him. "Now you'll have to wait, what, another five hundred years or so before another one pops up?" Klaus chuckled quietly and nodded his head.

"Yes well, lucky for me, I have the patience to wait another half century." Caroline shook her head in frustration. _God this man! _Klaus cleared his throat and continued. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day." Caroline paused and looked at Klaus in what could only be described as shock. She had never heard him apologize for anything that he had ever done to anyone. She quickly pushed her shock to the side however, and let her annoyance with him step forward.

"Which part exactly?" Caroline asked sharply. "Denting my car, kissing me, or breaking my _neck_?" Caroline glared at him as he smirked once again.

"For breaking your neck mostly, but I guess I am also sorry for the dent, but not the kiss Caroline." Klaus smiled broadly at her. "Definitely not the kiss." Caroline could feel her cheeks turning red and focused all of her attention on the wine list, refusing to look back up until the waiter came around to take their order.

Caroline wasn't even sure why Klaus had bothered to hand her the wine list, or allowed her to look at the menu, being as he ordered for both of them without even asking what she wanted. Caroline glared at him while he smoothly conversed with the waiter then brought his full attention back to her when he was done.

"Thank you for ordering for me," Caroline spat at him, not even bothering to hide her frustration. Klaus decided to ignore the sharpness in her tone however and smiled at her.

"Oh you're very welcome, Caroline. I wouldn't want you ordering the wrong thing." Klaus leaned over the table slightly and lowered his voice to a quiet whisper. "Do you know what veal is Caroline? I just couldn't imagine you eating a poor defenseless calf." Caroline scoffed at this. Honestly, the man is a psychotic killer and he's trying to feign worry for baby cows?

The food came, and the wine flowed, and Caroline actually found that she was enjoying herself. Klaus managed to keep the conversation light, sticking to topics that wouldn't cause Caroline to storm out of the restaurant. He asked her about all of the different places that she had travelled to, pointing out places that she should visit the next time around. Caroline asked about Klaus' art and he beamed with pride as he described to her his latest painting. Of course he had to add in that he would love to do a portrait of Caroline.

After what didn't seem like long at all, the evening had finally drawn to a close, and Caroline found herself standing next to Klaus outside of the restaurant as she waited for the valet to bring her car up. Klaus was smiling at her and Caroline couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you for this evening, Caroline," Klaus said quietly, suddenly finding himself at a loss for words.

"Thank you, Klaus. It was actually a pretty pleasant experience." Klaus let out a half-laugh and lightly caressed Caroline's arm as he took a step closer. Klaus leaned in until his face was hovering just above Caroline's so that she had to tip her head slightly to look at him. "Please don't kill me again," Caroline whispered as she saw his eyes sparkle and his lips turn into a sly grin.

"I wouldn't think of it," Klaus huskily whispered as he lowered his mouth onto hers. This kiss was much more gentle than the previous, much more tame. Caroline felt her body tingle all the way down to her toes as she closed her eyes and let his kiss overtake her senses. Much too quickly, Klaus pulled away, looping her arm into his as he led her to car. Caroline couldn't help but pout a little bit from the loss of contact. "Don't be sad, Love, we have the rest of eternity," Klaus said as he ushered her into her car. "Drive safe, Caroline, and goodnight."

"Good night," Caroline whispered just before Klaus closed her door. Caroline slumped forward and banged her head against the steering wheel a couple of times, trying to knock the sense back into her. _'Stupid! Stupid!' _Once again, she had succumbed to Klaus' oh-so-tempting lips without protest. Honestly, what was wrong with her? Klaus was seriously beginning to drive her mad. Caroline stepped on the gas and headed straight for the Grille. She needed a drink.

Caroline pulled up outside of the Grille and quickly stepped out of her car, when suddenly it hit her. _Blood. _She could smell it and it was close. Instinctively her fangs extended, forcing her to take a deep breath before she took another step. Caroline honed in on her hearing and could her a stifled whimper in the alley next to the Grille. With her vamp speed, she sped to the edge of the alley, but stopped dead In her tracks when she saw the image in front of her. Stefan was crouched over the woman, sucking her dry.

"Stefan!" Caroline screamed, causing him to pull away and look at her. Caroline could now see his victim. She was young and had long brown hair. She definitely had a striking resemblance to Elena.

"Go away Caroline!" Stefan growled and hunched back over his prey. Caroline dropped her purse to the ground and ran at Stefan with all her force, knocking him off of the young girl. She expected for him to come at her but instead he crumpled to the ground and began rocking on his heels, shaking his head as he refused to look at the bloodied girl in front of him. Caroline rushed to the injured girl and quickly bit into her wrist and fed her her blood. Once the girl started showing some signs of life, Caroline proceeded to compel the girl to forget the attack and sent her on her way. Slowly Caroline stood and approached Stefan.

"What the hell is wrong with you Stefan?" Caroline screamed as she pulled Stefan up and pushed him against the brick wall behind him, trying not to bash his head against it repeatedly.

"I can't get her out of my head Caroline," Stefan choked out, completely defeated.

"So what," Caroline shot back. "You're going to kill every pretty brunette you see? Unacceptable Stefan!" Caroline could smell the blood on him as well as alcohol. She knew Stefan was on the edge of losing his humanity and it was up to her to pull him back. "Come on," Caroline continued, loosening her grip on him. "I'll take you home." Caroline grabbed his hand and started to pull him out of the alley when she felt him pull her back.

"I'm so sorry Caroline. I didn't want you to see me like this."

"Well it's done now," Caroline huffed. "And it's not going to happen again, so don't even worry about it." Stefan pulled her even closer to him and she could see the hurt in his green eyes as he looked down at her.

"I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up." Stefan was now holding onto both of Caroline's hands and she was starting to feel a little uneasy. "My fierce little blonde angel, here to save the damned." Before Caroline could respond, Stefan lowered his mouth onto hers. She could taste the blood mixed with the alcohol and it made her mind spin out of control. _'No! This isn't right!' _Her mind screamed at her. Caroline pushed Stefan off of her as gently as she could.

"Stefan, this isn't right. Not like this. Now _please_, let me take you home," Caroline pleaded as she began to once again pull Stefan out of the alley. Stefan stayed silent as he followed Caroline to her car. He should feel ashamed for what he just did, but for some reason he didn't.

The scent of blood didn't just attract Caroline to the dark alleyway that night. When Klaus had left the restaurant he wasn't quite ready to go home and decided to go to the Grille for a nightcap. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Caroline's car parked out front, but that feeling quickly vanished as he approached the alley and saw Stefan kissing_ his_ Caroline. He was about to make his presence known, he was about to rip Stefan's head off, but he kept back as he watched Caroline push Stefan off of her. Instead, he dug his hands into his pockets and walked into the Grille as he had originally planned. Stefan would pay for his actions, but not tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N – Yikes! OK so let me just state now, that YES I am completely aware that 500 years is half a millennium NOT half a century *SMH* I seriously need to have someone proof-read this stuff before I hit the publish button. Thank you guys again for all the wonderful reviews and for putting this story on alert, you sure do know how to make a girl feel special!

VIII

The next day Klaus decided to pay Stefan a visit. Ringing the bell at the boarding house, Klaus could hear Stefan coming down the steps towards the door.

"Caroline, I'm really not in the…" Stefan opened the door and stopped mid-sentence when he saw Klaus standing at the threshold.

"Hello, Mate," Klaus said coyly. Stefan kept the door slightly ajar, not really ready to invite the hybrid in.

"What are you doing here Klaus?" Stefan asked as he tapped his fingers on the door. Klaus shrugged and smiled broadly.

"Well, I've been in town for about a week now, and I thought I'd pop in and say hello."

"I really don't feel like catching up right now. Goodbye Klaus," Stefan said as he started to close the door. Klaus put his hand up to stop the door from shutting and pushed back a little.

"There's a matter that I would like to discuss with you. Can I come in?" Stefan groaned as he stepped back allowing Klaus to enter.

"If this is about Elena's family, I have nothing to say other than leave them the hell alone," Stefan said as he walked into the main room of the house. Klaus followed and watched as Stefan went straight to the wet bar and poured himself a brandy.

"I have no desire to interfere with Elena's family Stefan. This is about Caroline." Stefan looked back at Klaus, his eyes cold.

"What about Caroline?" Stefan asked.

"Well it seems that our sweet Caroline holds you very dear to her heart. She feels loyal to you and feels the need to protect you when you start to spiral out of control." Stefan put his drink down on the bar and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What the hell is your _point_ Klaus?" Klaus smiled slightly and took a couple of steps closer to where Stefan stood.

"I don't want you to overstep your boundaries Stefan. I understand that you're probably feeling a little _vulnerable_ right now but that gives you no excuse to move in on my girl." The images of last night flashed through Stefan's mind, but how would Klaus know what happened? Stefan didn't remember seeing him there and he was sure Caroline wouldn't have told him about it.

"I don't know what you're trying to get at Klaus, but I care about Caroline and I'm not going to step to the side just because you think she's _'your girl'_." Klaus was losing his patience. He was trying to turn a new leaf and be more civilized but he was starting to break. He sped over to Stefan and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and pressing him hard against the wall.

"If you _ever_ dare to kiss Caroline again, I promise you I will end your miserable existence," Klaus growled out. Stefan had both of his hands on Klaus' arm, trying to pull him off when he heard a car pull up the driveway. Klaus must have heard it too because he quickly dropped Stefan back to the ground and took a couple of steps back. Moments later, Caroline came storming into the boarding house.

"Stefan! We need to…" Caroline froze mid-step. "talk," she finally ended as she looked at Stefan and Klaus curiously. _'Awkward'_ her mind taunted at her.

"Well good morning, Love," Klaus said smiling as he turned to face Caroline.

"What are you doing here Klaus?" Caroline asked.

"I thought it was high-time I came to pay my old friend here a visit, being as I haven't seen him since I've been back in town." Klaus turned back to Stefan and gave him a wink.

"Oh," Caroline said feeling increasingly uncomfortable. "Well I can come back later…" she said as she jutted her thumb towards the door. Stefan crossed his arms as he glared at Klaus.

"Klaus was just leaving Caroline. You're more than welcome to stay." Klaus smiled as he looked down at the floor then back up to Stefan.

"Yes, well I suppose I should be heading out," Klaus strode over to Caroline and put his hand on her lower back, pushing her closer to him. "You should come to my house later, Love. I would love to start that portrait of you." Caroline blushed a deep red as Klaus let his mouth lightly graze over her lips then proceeded to leave without another word. When Caroline regained her composure she looked at Stefan who still had his arms crossed and was now glaring at Caroline.

"What?" Caroline asked exasperated.

"So what, you guys are a couple now?" Stefan asked sharply.

"Definitely not!" Caroline replied back just as sharply.

"Well, you might want to tell Klaus that since he just threatened my life if I ever dare kiss you again."

"He did what?" Caroline half screamed. "How does he even know Stefan?" Stefan merely shrugged and took a large swig of his drink.

"The guy's got stalker issues, Caroline. He follows you like a lost puppy." Caroline rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Well it doesn't matter. It's not going to happen again," Caroline huffed as she threw her arms up in the air. Stefan raised his eyebrows and clenched his jaw.

"Right. It doesn't matter." Stefan refilled his glass as Caroline left the boarding house mumbling something about some much needed retail therapy.

After about two hours of Caroline purchasing half the mall, she headed to her car with her arms full of bags and boxes from various stores. She cursed herself for parking so far away from the entrance as she struggled carrying the bulky load. Finally reaching her car, she dumped her purchases on the top of her trunk as she fumbled for her keys. If she wasn't so busy cursing herself for being unorganized she probably would have heard the footsteps approach her, but it was too little too late when she finally realized someone was standing directly behind her. Caroline turned around quickly when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and dropped her keys in shock.

"Ric?" Caroline managed to choke out.

"Hello Caroline," Alaric said before breaking her neck.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N – Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow to respond to all of your wonderful reviews before the weekend. Until then, I just want you guys to know that I am so grateful to all of you who take the time to review! It really means the world to me. Anywho, here's Chapter 9!

IX

Caroline slowly started coming to, once again waking up to a splitting headache. However, this time it wasn't just her head that hurt, her whole body was screaming at her in pain. She knew that she wasn't tucked neatly in her bed this time. Slowly she opened her eyes and assessed her surroundings. She had been here before. She was shackled and chained to a large metal chair in a dark room. It didn't take her long to figure out that she was in the vampire torture cell under the jail. Flashbacks of her father, mother, and Tyler suddenly flooded her mind as she remembered the last time she was held prisoner down here. Caroline then looked down at her body as she tried to figure out why she was in so much pain. Quickly, she noticed that her daylight ring was gone, thrown across the cell haphazardly. She also noticed that she was bleeding almost everywhere, but couldn't figure out why. It felt like her whole body was being cut open and vervain was being poured into the open wounds. Caroline fitfully tried moving her arms, but couldn't break the chains. She had to get out of here. Desperate, she began to scream.

"Help!" Caroline screamed at the top of her lungs, over and over again, hoping that someone would hear her and come to her rescue. After a few minutes she stopped as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs to the cell. Her throat hurt and her voice was hoarse. Tears ran down her cheeks as she silently prayed that whoever was on the other side of the door was coming to save her and not kill her. Caroline closed her eyes as she heard the heavy bolt on the door unlock and felt a small breeze as the door was slowly opened.

"No one can hear you Caroline. These walls are soundproof. I thought you would have remembered that from the last time you were down here." Caroline looked up in shock. _Alaric? He's supposed to be dead. They killed him years ago. This can't be right._

"Ric?" Caroline choked out still in shock. Alaric grinned broadly and stretched out his arms.

"In the flesh! Well sort-of." Caroline shook her head in disbelief.

"How are you here right now?" Alaric continued to grin as he walked over to Caroline and knelt down so that he could see her face more clearly.

"Esther, of course. She sent me back here to finally kill Klaus," Alaric stated rather matter-of-factly.

"Are you a ghost?" Caroline asked as she studied Ric's face, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Alaric looked up at the ceiling for a moment as if he was pondering her last question.

"Hmm, not exactly." Alaric shook his head and focused his attention back on Caroline. "The whole thing is rather complicated and doesn't really matter anyway." Caroline creased her eyebrows at his rather cryptic explanation.

"What do you want from me?" Caroline asked even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer to that. She was bait, here to lure in Klaus to his certain death. Alaric stood and walked to one side of the room.

"Esther has been unable to locate Klaus. It seems that he had a witch put a spell on him a while back that makes it impossible to find him with any locator spells." He looked at Caroline, smiling again. "She has been keeping tabs on you however, and is fairly certain that wherever you are, Klaus is sure to follow." Caroline sighed quietly as she took in everything that Alaric was telling her.

"If I'm just being used for Klaus-bait Alaric, then why do you have me chained to this chair? Why all the blood?" Caroline asked angrily. Alaric sneered at Caroline as he leaned against the wall.

"You're a vampire, Caroline. You have to die. I'm going to have to keep you alive long enough for Klaus to find you, but I will certainly take pleasure in torturing you until then." With that, Alaric pulled on a chain that was hanging next to him. Suddenly bright sunlight engulfed the room. Caroline screamed as her skin burned. After what seemed like hours, Alaric closed the shutters and left the small cell, promising to be back.

Caroline wasn't sure how long she had been trapped down in the cell. It felt like weeks, but she was sure it couldn't have been more than a couple of days. Caroline's throat hurt and her mouth felt like someone had poured sand in it. She desperately needed blood if she was going to survive this. She could feel herself growing weaker as the hours passed on. Alaric came in periodically to inflict more torture on her. Exposing her to the sunlight in the morning, throwing stakes at her in the afternoon like she was a dartboard, and filling the cell with vervain gas at night. Caroline's body was no longer healing itself and she knew she didn't have much more time. She didn't want Klaus to come, she was sure Alaric would kill him on the spot, but God she wished someone would save her.

Caroline's head slumped as she lost consciousness.

A cold gray mist enveloped Caroline and she thought she heard someone saying her name from far away. It was a voice that she recognized but hadn't heard in a long time.

"_Caroline. Caroline. Can you hear me?" _Caroline tried to follow the voice but the sound came from all around her instead of from one direction.

"I can hear you. Who's there?" Caroline called out into the mist.

"_Caroline, it's Bonnie. I need you to listen to me. I don't have much time." _Caroline's mind reeled. _Bonnie?_ She must be dreaming….or dead.

"Am I dead?" Caroline asked.

"_No Caroline, you're not dead yet. You need to hang on a little bit longer. I know you're weak and in so much pain, but you need to stay alive Caroline. I'm working on a way to get you help."_

"I'll try, Bonnie. Please hurry."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – So sorry for the delay in updating! I hope you guys haven't given up on me! Just a little side-note before you read this chapter – all that nonsense where if Klaus dies every vampire created from his line also dies does not apply to this story – but don't worry, Klaus doesn't die ;)**

X

Stefan hadn't heard from Caroline in two days. He tried not letting it bother him, but the thought of her spending all of her time with Klaus annoyed him to no end. Deciding to drown his emotions in alcohol, Stefan left his room and headed downstairs to get a drink. Stefan headed straight for the liquor cabinet in the drawing room and poured himself a stiff drink. Taking a moment to sip his drink he suddenly had the feeling that he wasn't alone. Stefan turned, dropping his glass as he saw the person standing before him.

"Hello Brother," said Damon.

"Damon…." Stefan choked out "you're dead."

"Way to state the obvious Stefan," Damon smirked. "Bonnie sent me, and she's working on her own on this, so we don't have much time."

"Bonnie," Stefan stated only becoming more confused. "She's with you on the Other Side?" Damon nodded as he sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs.

"She sure is and she's as judge-y as ever," Damon smirked. "She sent me here to send you a message and I want to make sure you get it before I get sent back." Stefan nodded and sat down in the chair across from Damon.

"Alaric has Caroline," Damon stated simply. Stefan's jaw dropped as he gripped onto the armrests of the chair making his knuckles turn white.

"Alaric's dead. Remember we killed him?" Damon shrugged.

"I'm dead too and yet I'm here Stefan. Esther sent him to take Caroline as bait to get to Klaus." Stefan shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

"Do you know where she is?" asked Stefan.

"Bonnie did a locator spell and was able to contact her. He's got her in the torture cell under the jail and she doesn't have much time." Stefan quickly got up and grabbed his car keys but Damon quickly flashed before him, stopping him in his tracks. "Hang on Stefan, I'm not done yet. You're not going to be able to get to Caroline unless you have some help. You're going to need to bring Klaus with you." Stefan growled low in his throat.

"Please tell me we're going to let Esther kill him this time." Damon grinned and shook his head.

"Not if you want Caroline alive, Brother. Bonnie managed to work out a spell that will help you kill Alaric. She found a way to negate his 'Original' status and make him just a regular run-of-the-mill vampire, but Klaus is going to have to bite him in order to activate the spell. Once that happens you'll need to lead Alaric to the old witch-y house. Bonnie is generating all of her power from there. If you get him there, Bonnie will be able to complete the spell and you'll be able to stake him." Stefan nodded and once again headed for the door.

"Hey, Stefan?" Damon asked. Stefan turned to face him. "It was good seeing you again."

"You too, Damon," and before he could blink, Damon was gone. Stefan sighed quietly and got in his car, heading straight for Klaus' house.

Stefan arrived at Klaus' home in record time. He opened his trunk and pulled out a large black duffel bag that contained several wooden stakes, vervain grenades, as well as blood bags for Caroline. Deciding to ignore the subtleties of ringing the doorbell, Stefan instead pounded on the front door with his fist several times. It didn't take long for him to hear footsteps approaching. Klaus opened the door with a distinct scowl on his face as he looked at Stefan and the duffel bag that he held in his hand.

"I don't remember inviting you over for a sleep over, Mate." Stefan ignored Klaus' comment and walked into the house without invitation.

"Alaric's back and he has Caroline," Stefan said as he dropped the duffel bag on the floor with a loud thud. Klaus sighed loudly as he closed the door and walked towards Stefan.

"If you think I am going on a suicide mission with you, you're seriously mistaken." Stefan smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh, I don't think Klaus, I know. I know that you want to_ pretend_ that Caroline is nothing more to you than a schoolyard crush, but we both know that isn't true. And if we don't act soon, she'll be dead." Klaus raised an eyebrow and crossed his own arms.

"Did Alaric contact you Stefan?" Stefan shook his head.

"No, Damon did actually. Apparently we have some help from Bonnie on the Other Side. She has a spell that can turn Alaric into a standard, killable, vampire. We just need you to bite him to activate the spell and then lead him to the old witch's house where Bonnie is drawing her power from so that we can stake him." Klaus nodded as he reached for his car keys.

"Well I guess we should be on our way then," and with that Klaus exited his house with Stefan close on his heels.

During the car ride over, Stefan gave Klaus further details in regards to the situation at hand, then proceeded to formulate a plan of attack. The element of surprise would be essential if this was going to work. Both agreed that Klaus would be the one to lure Alaric away from Caroline so that he could activate Bonnie's spell by biting him. Stefan would rescue Caroline while Klaus handled Alaric, then all three of them would lure Alaric to the old witch's house. As the two men stood outside the back entrance to the jail, Klaus frowned at Stefan.

"You know, this is all your fault Stefan." Stefan looked at Klaus with disdain.

"How do you figure Klaus? I'm not the one that Esther is trying to kill here." Klaus nodded as he surveyed the old brick building.

"Yes well, it is because of you that Caroline is constantly finding herself in these situations. The girl doesn't know how to be a true vampire Stefan. You teaching her to hold on to her humanity, to feed off of bunnies and blood bags, has kept her weak." Stefan nodded and looked at the ground as he let Klaus' words sink in. There was truth in what Klaus had said, and Stefan could feel the guilt slowly engulf him. Stefan quickly shook the feeling however and cleared his throat.

"Let's do this," he said as he headed for the door.

Both men entered the jail as quietly as possible. They didn't want to draw attention to themselves just yet. As they slowly made their way to the basement they could suddenly hear Caroline's screams causing them both to stop in their tracks. Stefan could hear a low growl come from Klaus and turned to face him with his finger over his mouth to shush him. Klaus glared at Stefan but quickly regained composure and they continued their way down the steps. When they reached the bottom, they both took their positions on either side of the door and waited for Alaric to come out of the cell. Klaus glared at Stefan as they waited, silently reiterating the fact that this whole mess was Stefan's fault while they listened to the pained screams of Caroline on the other side.

After what seemed like hours the screams finally stopped and they heard the bolt on the door unlatch. Stefan silently pulled the pin from one of the vervain grenades as Klaus readied his stake. When the door finally opened and Alaric appeared on the other side Stefan threw the grenade at Alaric's face while Klaus daggered him through the chest. Stefan quickly flashed to Caroline while Klaus continued to attack Alaric. Quickly he pulled the chains off of Caroline, trying to be as gentle with her as possible.

"Stefan," Caroline could barely choke out his name as her body slumped toward him and he caught her in his arms.

"I'm here Caroline," Stefan said as he cradled her bloodied body and quickly scanned the room for her daylight ring. Finding it on the other side of the room he picked it up and gingerly placed it on her finger. Stefan could hear the struggle outside of the cell and with Caroline in his arms dashed past Klaus and Alaric. Once they were outside of the jail, Stefan quickly fed Caroline a blood bag while they waited for Klaus to emerge. Suddenly Klaus came charging out of the jail at full speed.

"Run!" he screamed as Stefan quickly scooped Caroline back into his arms and followed suit. He could hear Alaric 's footsteps nearing and quickened his pace as they went further into the woods toward the old house. Finally after what seemed like forever, the woods cleared and the old witch's house appeared before them. The three vampires quickly stormed into the house and headed straight for the basement. Stefan gently laid Caroline down on the ground and looked at Klaus as they waited for Alaric.

"Did you bite him?" Stefan asked nervously. Klaus threw Stefan a stake as he readied his own.

"Yes, of course. Give me one of those grenades, Stefan." Klaus growled, knowing there wasn't much time. Stefan tossed Klaus a grenade and quickly grabbed one for himself as he heard Alaric coming down the steps.

In a flash Alaric was standing before them and Stefan could see the bite mark on his shoulder. Klaus quickly pulled the pin from his grenade and threw it at Alaric, causing him to take a step back and scream in pain. Stefan quickly lunged forward and staked Alaric straight through the heart, causing him to fall to the ground with a sickening thud. Both men stood over the lifeless body for a moment as they waited to see if Bonnie's spell in fact worked. Slowly Alaric's body turned grey causing both Stefan and Klaus to sigh in relief.

"Thank you Bonnie," Stefan quietly whispered as Klaus moved away from Alaric and slowly approached Caroline. Sitting down on the ground beside her he gently cradled her head in his one hand while he tore open a blood bag and fed it to her with the other. Caroline quietly whimpered in pain and slowly opened her eyes as she looked up at Klaus.

"Shh Love, it's alright I'm here. You're going to be ok," Klaus said as he gently stroked her hair. "I'm going to take you home Caroline." Klaus carefully cradled Caroline in his arms as he stood and looked at Stefan. "I'm taking Caroline to my home to recuperate. Can I trust you to dispose of Alaric's body properly?" Stefan glared at Klaus as he held Caroline but finally relented and nodded as Klaus carried Caroline out of the house.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N – OMG guys I really am sorry it took me soooo long to get this chapter up. I wasn't sure how far I wanted to go with this chapter and ended up re-writing it like 3 times. I'm still not completely happy with it but I'm tired of making changes. I hope you all haven't given up on me and I hope you enjoy this latest installment. Don't forget to R&R I know I probably don't deserve it but I love reading everything you guys have to say.**_

XI

Klaus carried Caroline back to his SUV that was still at the jail. Gingerly he laid her down in the back seat and gave her a couple blood bags to drink while he drove back to his house. When he arrived home he once again picked Caroline up and carried her into the house. Caroline was feeling slightly better and her wounds were now finally starting to heal but she was too exhausted to walk so she didn't argue.

Klaus carried her straight to his bedroom and gently laid her on his bed. He then went into his private bathroom and began drawing a bath. Caroline fell asleep as soon as her head hit the soft pillows on Klaus' bed but was woken up only minutes later as Klaus carefully removed her clothes and carried her into the bathroom and placed her in the tub. Caroline moaned quietly as she felt the warm water envelope her aching and tired body. _'God this is good'_ she thought to herself as she sunk down further into the tub trying to ignore the fact that she was completely naked in front of Klaus.

Klaus didn't speak as he gently washed Caroline's bruised body as discreetly as possible, then shampooed and rinsed her hair. Slowly Caroline's body came back to life and when Klaus was finally satisfied that she was as clean as she could possibly be, he reached into the tub and pulled the plug, letting the water drain out. Cautiously he helped Caroline stand up and step out of the bath. He quickly wrapped a large towel around her and led her back into his bedroom. No words had been spoken since they had left the old witch's house and Caroline was starting to feel a little uneasy with all of the intimacy that Klaus was showing her. Looking up at him as he sat her down on the edge of his bed she finally decided to break the silence.

"Thank you," she quietly whispered as he stroked her cheek. It wasn't much and Caroline wasn't particularly happy with the simple statement but it was all she could come up with at the moment.

"I want you to rest Caroline," Klaus said as he pulled a t-shirt out of his dresser and handed it to her. "I'm going to go get your bags from the Bed & Breakfast. I don't want you staying there anymore." Caroline bit her lip as she processed what Klaus had just said. She didn't really want to be alone and vulnerable, but did she really want to shack up with Klaus? Klaus didn't wait for a response and left the room without another word. Caroline stared blankly at the door for a few minutes before she finally pulled the t-shirt on that Klaus had given her. It smelled like him, and for a moment she just relished in his scent.

Caroline didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke up she noticed that there was a throw blanket covering her and the room was now dark. It didn't take long for Caroline to realize that she wasn't alone on the bed and rolled over slowly to find Klaus laying on top of the bed next to her. He was still fully dressed but looked to be asleep as he laid on his back with his hands interlaced resting on his stomach. Caroline carefully rolled back over and started to get up off the bed trying not to disturb him.

"Where are you going, Love?" Caroline froze and winced at the sound of his voice.

"I don't know," Caroline said dumbly. She didn't know where she was going to go but she didn't feel right sharing a bed with Klaus. "Do you have a spare room that I could sleep in?" Caroline frowned at her own idiocy. Of course there was a spare room. There were probably half a dozen spare rooms in Klaus' mansion. Klaus rolled to his side so that he was looking at Caroline's back.

"I think it would be best if you stayed here with me for now Caroline. I'm still not fully convinced that you're completely healed and I want to keep an eye on you." Klaus patted the spot where Caroline had been laying with his hand. "Come lay back down. I promise to be a complete gentleman." Caroline groaned quietly to herself but laid back down in her original spot with her back turned to Klaus. Klaus settled back into his own position of laying on his back and listened to the sound of Caroline breathing until she fell back to sleep.

Caroline awoke once again, this time in a cold sweat and screaming. The images of Alaric and the torture cell were still fresh in her mind as she woke from her nightmare. She felt something strong and solid around her and struggled to pull away for a moment thinking that she was once again being held captive.

"Shh, Love. It's alright. I'm here. You're safe," she heard Klaus whisper in her ear and she suddenly relaxed as she realized that it was Klaus who was holding her tightly, not chains. Slowly Klaus turned her so that she was facing him and gently stroked her cheek.

"I don't want to be scared anymore," Caroline whispered. "I don't want to be the victim." Klaus nodded as he gently stroked her hair.

"You don't need to be Caroline. You're a vampire, and you're strong. It's just that no one has ever taught you how to reach your true potential." Klaus paused as he thought for a moment. "I can teach you, Caroline, if you will let me." Caroline stared at Klaus as she tried to find an ulterior motive to his words. Did she really want to go to The Dark Side? She wasn't so sure.

"Klaus, I…" Caroline started but was quickly interrupted as his mouth lowered onto hers, pulling her into a deep passionate kiss. Caroline couldn't fight him off, didn't want to fight him off, so instead she completely succumbed to Klaus as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Caroline could feel the low growl that came from Klaus and it made her whole body shake. Klaus gently moved on top of Caroline and slowly moved his hand up her thigh, pushing the t-shirt that he gave her up past her waist. Caroline closed her eyes tightly as she felt Klaus' mouth move down her neck, laying kisses on the soft skin just above her collar bone. Quietly she purred as she felt Klaus pull the t-shirt off of her and continued to move his mouth down her body, leaving a trail of goose bumps everywhere he touched.

Caroline knew she shouldn't be doing this. She knew it was a bad idea. She silently cursed herself as she moved her hands and pulled Klaus' own shirt off then unhitched his pants and pushed them down as well. Caroline kept her eyes closed as she felt Klaus' kisses move back up towards her mouth. She could feel his weight shifting as he prepared to enter her and she tightly wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Look at me," Klaus growled at Caroline, his voice full of heat and passion. Caroline stalled for a moment then slowly opened her eyes and looked at Klaus. Keeping his eyes locked on hers he slowly entered her. Caroline moaned loudly as she felt him penetrate her but did look away. And it was then that she suddenly felt every wall of defense that she had ever put up against Klaus come crumbling to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N – OMG Are you guys excited there's finally a new chapter up? I know I am! Sorry I made you wait for like EVER for this, but I hope it was worth it and I hope you all enjoy it. I know I don't deserve it but reviews = love and I love to know what you guys think. Thanks! T-**_

XII

Caroline awoke to the sound of dresser drawers being slammed shut. Turning over so she could see what all the ruckus was about she noticed that there were three suitcases laid open on the bed. Her eyes moved to Klaus who was emptying his dresser drawers and quickly filling the empty suitcases.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked groggily, still not fully awake, and not quite sure if she was still dreaming.

"I'm packing," Klaus said not losing a beat as he continued to empty his drawers. Caroline frowned at Klaus' response. _'Well obviously. I'm not that dense,'_ she thought to herself.

"Where are you going?" Caroline asked as she raised her arms above her head and stretched languidly. Klaus stopped and looked at Caroline as she stretched, not failing to notice her bare breasts peek out from under her blanket. Immediately he felt his groin tighten at the sight. Licking his lips he quickly turned away and went back to packing.

"It's time for us to leave Mystic Falls, Caroline. It's not safe here." Caroline quickly bolted upright.

"Wait, what?" she half screamed, causing Klaus to once again turn around and face her. Caroline quickly realized that her blanket had fallen around her hips leaving her chest bare. Swiftly she pulled the blanket back up and tucked it under her arms as her cheeks flushed red. "What do mean _us_?" Caroline continued.

"Esther has too strong of a foothold here Caroline. I'm going to take you to my witch. She can do a spell so Esther can't use her locator spells on you." Caroline stuck her bottom lip out as she looked down at her hands.

"But I just got here," Caroline mumbled. Klaus sighed in frustration. Did she really not see the danger in staying in Mystic Falls?

"It's not _safe_ here Caroline. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you." Caroline looked up at Klaus. The determination in his eyes shook her to the core, but she wasn't ready to give in.

"I've been running for so _long_ Klaus. I don't want to run anymore. This is my home." Caroline met his determined eyes with her own pleading look. Klaus shook his head and resumed packing.

"It's not up for discussion, Caroline. We're leaving today." Caroline felt her cheeks flush red as the anger in her quickly rose to the surface. Honestly, who did he think he was?

"Seriously? You're not my boss, or boyfriend, or anything! You can't just tell me what to do and expect me to do it!" Caroline couldn't stop herself from screaming. This was all so ridiculous. Klaus growled in response and before she could blink, he was leaning forward over the bed, hovering over her, his nose almost touching hers. She could see his pupils dilate and knew what was coming next.

"You _will_ leave with me, Caroline," Klaus said lowly as he tried to compel her. Caroline snapped and smacked him across the cheek.

"I'm still on vervain, jackass! You can't compel me." Caroline yelled as Klaus stepped back and rubbed his cheek. This was going nowhere fast and Caroline was suddenly wishing she had some sort of clothes on so that she could just storm out of there. Klaus decided to switch tactics.

"Please, Caroline. I just need to know that you're safe, and as soon as we're done seeing the witch you won't have to run anymore. We can go wherever you want. I promise." Caroline bit her bottom lip. She could hear the desperation in his voice, and unless she wanted another broken neck, she figured she would have bend slightly to his will.

"I want to say goodbye to Stefan. He'll worry about me." Klaus felt a rush of satisfaction sweep over him, happy that she was finally being somewhat agreeable. Sure, he was annoyed at the mention of Stefan, but he could look past that.

"Fine, we'll stop at the boarding house on the way out of this god forsaken town." Caroline couldn't help but smile at her small victory.

Caroline could feel the anxiety in her chest rise to her throat as Klaus pulled up to the boarding house. She definitely wasn't looking forward telling Stefan that her and Klaus were leaving town. Lost in thought, Caroline didn't notice right away that Klaus had turned the engine off and was starting to climb out of his SUV.

"Wait," Caroline started quickly. "I want to do this on my own, Klaus. I don't need the two of you having some pissing contest while I'm trying to tell my best friend goodbye." Klaus hesitated for a moment then slowly closed his door.

"Fine, but if you're not back in ten minutes I'm coming in." Caroline nodded as she opened the door and stepped out of the SUV. As she closed the door she heard Klaus yell "Ten minutes!" one more time, causing her to roll her eyes.

Caroline had her finger poised to ring the bell when suddenly the heavy wooden door swung open revealing Stefan on the other side. Quickly, Stefan grabbed Caroline and pulled her into a tight bear hug. If she wasn't a vampire she thought for sure her ribs would crack.

"Thank god you're ok!" Stefan said as he buried his face into her hair. Caroline patted Stefan's back and pulled away slightly so she could see his face.

"I'm ok. Klaus helped me." Caroline couldn't help but notice Stefan's jaw harden at the mention of Klaus.

"I'm so sorry Caroline," Stefan murmured as he gently stroked her cheek. Caroline rolled her eyes in response.

"There's nothing to be sorry for Stefan, it wasn't your fault." The conversation between himself and Klaus outside the jail flashed through Stefan's mind.

"It is partly my fault, Caroline. If I had taught you how to be stronger…." Caroline put her hand over Stefan's mouth and dragged him further into the house, closing the door behind her with her foot.

"Did Klaus tell you that?" Caroline asked sharply, resting her hands on her hips. Stefan only shrugged in response causing Caroline to sigh loudly. "I'm a big girl Stefan and I can handle myself. Sometimes shit happens and it's beyond anyone's control, but I'm still here and I'm ok. Now get off the pity train cause I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Stefan asked, his brow furrowed in concern. Caroline walked into the drawing room straight to the wet bar. Trying to buy herself some time before having to speak the inevitable, she poured herself a splash of bourbon and swallowed it in one gulp. Stefan stood in the entryway with his arms crossed. "Caroline?" Caroline turned around to face Stefan but kept her eyes on the glass she was holding, running her finger along the rim.

"Klaus and I are leaving, Stefan." Slowly, Stefan uncrossed his arms.

"You and Klaus are leaving." Stefan slowly repeated what Caroline had just said, not really as a question, more like that it was a foreign language and he was trying to figure out the meaning. "Leaving where?" Stefan finally added. Caroline shrugged and crossed her arms.

"New Orleans, I think. He has a witch that he wants me to see so that she can do some juju magic and make me untraceable." Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Untraceable? Do you think that's a good idea?" Stefan was all about free will and letting people make their own choices but this didn't sit well with him.

"Klaus wants it done so that Esther can't locate me and use me to get to him again. I'm just so _tired_ of running Stefan, and if I do this I won't have to run anymore. And it's not just Esther. When the witch does this spell, Klaus won't be able to locate me anymore either. I'll finally have some peace." Stefan suddenly understood and slowly nodded. Actually, he was a little surprised that Klaus hadn't put two and two together. Once the spell was done, Caroline would take the first opportunity available to get as far away from Klaus as possible.

"I understand, but please be safe Caroline. I want you to contact me the first chance you get." Caroline ran to Stefan and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.

"I promise Stefan. I'll talk to you soon, ok?" Stefan held onto Caroline for a moment longer than slowly pulled back and kissed her lips lightly. "I have to go now. We don't need Klaus storming in here pulling me out by my hair." And with that Caroline walked to the door and opened it, giving one last wave to her best friend. Caroline jogged back to the SUV and hopped in, ignoring Klaus' irritated look.

"I was about to go in…"Klaus started, but Caroline simply turned up the radio and looked out her window.

"Let's just go and get this over with." Caroline said as the SUV slowly pulled out of the long drive.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N – Well this is certainly the longest chapter I have ever written. I honestly have no control of this story anymore, I'm just along for the ride, so don't try asking me what's going to happen next because I honestly have no idea. As always, reviews are love and I do love you all.**_

XIII

"Caroline, Love, you need to wake up now." Caroline stirred in her sleepy haze. Turning to bury her face into her pillow she suddenly realized there was no pillow. Instead, her head was resting on Klaus' shoulder. Inwardly she groaned as she sat upright and wiped a bit of drool off of her cheek.

"Sorry," Caroline mumbled as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"No need to apologize, Love. I quite enjoy your head resting on my shoulder." Klaus said with only a hint of his classic smirk.

"Where are we?" Caroline asked as she looked out her window, quietly noticing that they were sitting in the parking lot of a small motel.

"Just outside of Atlanta," Klaus said as he cut the engine. "We'll stop here for the night. You need to get some proper rest and I need to feed." Caroline arched her brow and frowned slightly.

"You didn't bring blood bags?" she asked as Klaus stepped out of the SUV.

"I did. For you," Klaus said simply as he reached in the back for their bags.

"So what, you're just going to go out somewhere and kill a couple of innocent people while I sit here painting my toenails?" Caroline stepped out of the SUV and slammed her door a little harder than necessary. She wasn't sure why she was so annoyed over this. It most likely had something to do with the fact that she was just stuck in a car with Klaus for the past 8 hours.

"Easy, Love. I'm not going to kill anyone. Feeding off of humans doesn't always equate to murder, and you're more than welcome to join me. I'd prefer it actually." Caroline huffed as she walked over to the driver's side of the SUV where Klaus was standing with the bags at his feet.

"I don't _feed_ off of humans," Caroline hissed as she picked up her bag and started walking to the office. Klaus picked up the remaining bags and followed behind Caroline.

"We're going to need two rooms," Caroline said to the scraggly looking man behind the front desk who eyed Caroline warily then Klaus before spitting into a tin coffee can.

"Only one room available Miss," the greasy haired man said through his mouthful of chewing tobacco. "Two beds though," he finished as he spit once again. Caroline turned and looked out at the deserted parking lot minus their SUV. Caroline waved her arm towards the empty lot.

"There's no one here!" The man merely shrugged at Caroline's outburst and reached for the room key that hung on a peg behind him.

"Gun Show's in town, Miss. Busiest time of the year for us. They're all down at Jack's havin' a few beers." The clerk dangled the key in front of Caroline as he leered at her. "Next Motel is almost 30 miles out." Klaus quickly reached around Caroline and snatched the key out of the man's hand.

"We'll take it." Caroline turned and glared at Klaus.

"Seriously?" Klaus smiled as he picked up their bags.

"Yes. Now come on, Love, let's get settled in. Once we're done, we can check out this Jack's place. I'm just _dying_ for a drink." Klaus winked at Caroline before turning on his heel and headed out of the office towards their room. Caroline mumbled a 'thank you' to the creepy man behind the counter before following Klaus to their room, her feet suddenly feeling like lead as she walked. When Caroline reached the room, Klaus was already inside rummaging through his bag. "The invitation still stands, Caroline. You don't have to stay here by yourself while I go out," Klaus said as he pulled off his shirt and pulled a clean one out of his bag.

"I'd rather burn in the sun," Caroline grumbled as she threw her purse on the empty bed and walked to the bathroom. Turning on the light in the bathroom, Caroline noticed a large black cockroach scurry across the tiled floor. "EEEEK!" Caroline screeched, turned the light back off and quickly took two steps back, bumping into shirtless Klaus who was now directly behind her.

"Easy, Love," Klaus said smoothly as he put his hands on Caroline's shoulders to steady her. Caroline spun and pushed Klaus out of the way, leaping onto one of the beds so that her feet were safely off the ground.

"You sure do know how to pick the skeeviest motels don't you?" Caroline said as Klaus turned the light to the bathroom back on and swatted at the cockroach with a rolled up magazine, ending it's miserable existence with a final and definite _'phwat'_.

"Well it certainly does have its charm," Klaus grumbled as he threw on his shirt and headed for the door. Caroline gracefully leapt to the second bed then took another leap out the door, managing to avoid the floor of the room entirely.

"I'm coming with you," Caroline said as she fell in step next to Klaus. Klaus raised his brow and smirked at Caroline.

"I didn't doubt otherwise," Klaus said as he opened the passenger door of the SUV and Caroline climbed in, taking a moment to shake off the heebie jeebies.

Fifteen minutes later they pulled into the gravel parking lot of Jack's. The lot was filled with rusted out pick-up trucks and chrome Harley Davidson's. Three burley looking men in black t-shirts and black leather vests stood outside smoking cigarettes. Caroline tossed her empty blood bag to the floor and looked at Klaus.

"This night just keeps getting better and better," Caroline said sarcastically as she opened her door and stepped out of the SUV.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Love," Klaus said as he joined Caroline's side and they headed into the bar. Walking straight back to the bar, Caroline could feel the eyes of everyone in there on her and Klaus. Reaching the bar, Caroline took a seat on one of the stools while Klaus stood protectively behind her, his hands resting on the bar on either side of her.

"Two bourbons neat," Klaus ordered when the barkeep strolled over to the pair, eyeing each of them suspiciously. Caroline turned in her stool and looked around at the patrons. There were only a handful of women here. Klaus definitely had slim pickings. Turning her attention back to the bar she found her drink waiting for her. Picking it up, she clanked her glass with Klaus' and swallowed the amber liquid in one smooth gulp.

"So, who are you hungry for?" Caroline asked as Klaus waved the barkeep back over.

"Why don't you just get us a bottle, Mate. Seems as though my girl likes her bourbon." The bartender nodded and went to grab them a full bottle of the bourbon. Klaus lazily scanned over the patron's in the bar then brought his eyes down to Caroline. "Well, that is a loaded question, Ms Forbes, but if you're referring to a midnight snack, any of them will do," Klaus said with a wink. Caroline could feel her cheeks redden and was grateful that the bartender had come back with the bottle of liquor. Klaus opened the bottle and poured them each a fresh drink. "Bottom's up Love," Klaus said before taking another shot. Caroline obediently followed.

Half a dozen shots later, Caroline found herself sitting alone at the bar while Klaus chatted it up with a middle aged woman in cut-off shorts and a white halter top. Caroline rolled her eyes as she poured another shot into her glass and threw it back.

"Can I buy you a drink pretty lady?" Caroline turned, noticing a not too tall blonde man in faded blue jeans, wife-beater, and camo baseball hat leaning over her. He wasn't unattractive, but redneck was definitely not her type. Caroline pointed to the bottle of bourbon.

"I'm good. Thanks," Caroline said with a polite smile. The man frowned slightly but didn't leave, instead opting to take a seat on the stool next to her. Caroline ran her hand through her hair while the man ordered a bottle of beer. She could feel eyes on her and she didn't have to turn around to know they were Klaus'.

"I'm Chris," the man said as he put his hand out towards Caroline. Caroline placed her hand in his and shook it gently.

"Caroline," she replied simply.

"So what's a pretty little vampire doing in a place like this?" Caroline froze. How did he know? Listening closely, she could hear his beating heart so she knew he wasn't among the undead. Caroline quickly turned her head to Klaus, knowing that he was listening to their conversation. Klaus was still sitting in the booth with the middle aged woman but was visibly tense. Caroline turned back to Chris and decided to play the denial card.

"I don't know what you're talking about Chris," Caroline said as she slowly poured herself another drink. Chris smiled broadly and leaned in closer to her.

"Oh I think you do, and I also know that your friend over there is Klaus, the Original Vampire-werewolf hybrid. You see, you're in werewolf country Caroline, and if the two of you think for a moment that you're going to come in here and make hybrid minions out of us, you're sorely mistaken." Caroline blinked while she waited for her brain to catch up with what her ears had just heard. After a long moment she finally stood, picking up her shot glass and downing the bourbon.

"We're just passing through Chris. We have no intention in making anyone here 'hybrid minions'." Caroline turned and was about to walk away when she felt Chris grab her arm in a vice grip. From the corner of her eye she could see Klaus quickly stand and start to head over their way.

"Not so fast pretty lady," Chris said as he roughly turned her back around so that she was facing him. Caroline bared her fangs and hissed. In a flash she twisted her arm, flipping him to the ground so that he was lying on his back. Caroline placed her heeled boot over his throat, pinning him to the ground. Klaus was by her side in a flash.

"Easy, Mate, she's a firecracker," Klaus said as he knelt down so that he could see the man's face.

"Fuck you," Chris choked out, causing Caroline to press her boot harder into his throat.

"How about this," Klaus said as he scratched his chin as if deep in thought. "First you apologize to the lady and then I rip your heart out?" Caroline hesitated for a moment. This whole situation was quickly spiraling out of control and she really wasn't in the mood to compel a bunch of rednecks to forget about a bloody murder.

"Klaus, wait," Caroline started as Klaus turned his attention to her, looking up expectantly. "Can't we just compel him to forget that we were here or something and just get out of this shithole of a town already?" Chris' eyes moved from Caroline to Klaus as he awaited his fate. Klaus looked back down at the man, scratching his chin once again.

"Doubtful, Love. I'm sure he's on vervain and can't be compelled. Aren't you Mate?" Klaus asked and in a flash, Klaus' hand was buried in his chest.

"Klaus, no!" Caroline yelled, but it was too late. Before she could blink, Klaus had the werewolf's heart in his hand. Caroline could feel the bile rise up in her throat and for a moment, time stood still as she looked down at Klaus horrified. Klaus slowly stood and dropped the man's once beating heart to the floor with a very unceremonious _'thunk'_.

"Behind you Caroline," Klaus growled, his fangs bared. Caroline turned quickly and noticed that almost all of the patrons at the bar were now slowly stalking in their general direction. _'Great, they're probably all from the same pack.' _Caroline thought as she once again bared her fangs and copied Klaus, burying her hand into the chest of the closest person, werewolf, whatever, and pulled out their heart. The few customers that appeared not to be Lykens made a mad dash for the exit as Caroline and Klaus took down the werewolves one by one. After what was probably only a few minutes, but felt like much longer, Caroline and Klaus sat on the floor covered in blood, their backs leaning against the bar.

Caroline's head was buzzing from a mixture of alcohol, adrenaline, and most importantly blood. It had been years since she had actually fed off of a human, and now she had officially drained six, maybe seven, she lost count. Tilting her head back, she took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself.

"You handled yourself very well, Caroline," Klaus said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Caroline glanced at Klaus before standing, wiping her bloodied hands on her jeans.

"Yeah well, this has officially been the worst night _ever. _Can we please just go back to the hotel so I can shower and then get the hell out of this town?" Klaus also stood and tossed Caroline his car keys.

"You go ahead, Love. I'll clean up this mess and meet you back at the motel. Do you remember how to get back?" Caroline nodded and grabbed her purse before walking out of the bar and to Klaus' SUV. Caroline peeled out of the parking lot, needing to get as far away from there as fast as possible. The farther away she got from Jack's the calmer she felt, and by the time she got back to the dingy motel the insistent buzzing in her brain had finally stopped.

Caroline quickly walked into the motel room and straight into the bathroom, no longer caring about cockroaches. Stripping naked, she threw her bloody clothes in the waste basket and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the blood. Shampooing her hair, Caroline felt numb. She thought for sure that she'd be having an epic meltdown at this point, but she felt nothing. No guilt, no sadness, nothing. Caroline decided not to relish on this realization and instead focused on lathering and rinsing her hair.

Once Caroline was sure she was thoroughly clean she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in the lone towel that hung off the door. Stepping out of the bathroom, Caroline noticed that Klaus hadn't come back yet. Pulling out a pair of grey sweatpants and a black zip-up hoodie she slowly got dressed then sat on the end of the bed patting her hair dry with the towel. A couple of minutes later Klaus came in smelling of smoke and earth and blood. He was filthy, covered in dirt and dried blood. Caroline eyed Klaus with indifference as she slowly combed her hair.

"Everything's taken care of, Love. I'm going to shower. Can you go to the office and check us out? It'd probably be wise to compel the clerk also. It'd be better if we were never here," Klaus said as he kicked off his boots and peeled his shirt off.

"Did you know they were werewolves?" Caroline asked nonchalantly as she continued to comb her blonde tresses. Klaus paused outside of the bathroom and slowly turned to face her.

"Yes," Klaus hesitated. "I thought they'd leave us alone Caroline. It's nowhere near a full moon." Caroline simply nodded as she stood and headed towards the door.

"I'll go check us out and take care of the clerk," Caroline said as she walked out of the room. Klaus stared after her for a moment, noticing a distinct shift in her behavior since the incident at Jack's. He knew that she was never one to embrace violence, and god only knew when the last time it was that she actually fed off a human. Her eerie calmness over the whole matter was unsettling to say the least. Perhaps she was just in shock over the events, but Klaus was doubtful, thinking that something much more ominous had happened tonight.

When Klaus stepped out of the bathroom, showered and dressed, Caroline was back in the room putting their bags by the door. Klaus slowly walked over to Caroline, causing her to turn and look at him. Taking his index finger he slipped it under her chin and tilted her face upwards so that he could see her face clearly. She looked the same but the light that once shined so brightly from her eyes was now dull. Klaus' fears were suddenly realized. Caroline had turned her humanity off. Klaus frowned slightly as he gently stroked her cheek.

"Let's get out of here, Love," Klaus said as he dropped his hand and picked up the bags at their feet. Caroline quietly followed, swallowing down the dull ache that started to rise from her chest.


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N – I hope you guys enjoy this – it's kind of a filler chapter before we see Caroline go off the deep end. As always reviews are love! T-**_

XIV

Caroline didn't sleep the rest of the way to New Orleans, instead opting to take the wheel so that Klaus could get a break. With the female voice of the GPS guiding the way, Caroline drove mindlessly through the night on the back roads of the Deep South. Klaus was silent most of the trip, mulling over in his mind what he could do to get his Caroline back. Admittedly, he was a little surprised with himself that he wasn't fully embracing the new, darker, Caroline, and was in fact missing the bright light and bubbly innocence that radiated off of her not 24 hours earlier. He had decided to avoid bringing up the matter to Caroline directly, knowing that she was more than likely in complete denial over the situation and wouldn't listen to a word he said anyway.

As they approached the Louisiana border, Klaus pulled out his phone from his pocket and scrolled through the contacts, hesitating for a moment when Stefan's name appeared. Should he reach out to Stefan? Tell him what happened to Caroline? Surely he would have some insight on the matter. Klaus exhaled loudly and continued scrolling, deciding that was not a viable option at this point. He was an Original, he could fix this. Finding the number for the witch that was going to do the spell on Caroline, he pressed 'dial' and put the phone to his ear, glancing at Caroline from the corner of his eye as the phone rang. After the third ring, a familiar voice picked up.

"_Nik, I was expecting to hear from you a bit sooner than this."_

"We ran into a snag in Georgia, but we're coming into Louisiana now Elisa. We should be in New Orleans in about another hour," Klaus said, noticing that Caroline had almost rolled her eyes into the back of her head, surely due to the vagueness in his re-telling of the incident at Jack's. Klaus smiled slightly at her reaction. At least she still had her wit about her.

"_That's fine. I'll be here. I'm looking forward to meeting the girl, Nik."_ And with that the line went dead. Klaus slipped the phone back into his pocket. Reaching over, he gently squeezed Caroline's thigh, receiving a sidelong glance in return from the pretty blond.

"We're almost there, Love." Caroline nodded as she bit her bottom lip. In the very near future she would finally be able to truly disappear. All she had to do was get as far away from Klaus as possible once the spell was done and no one would be able to track her.

"I'm hungry," Caroline said simply. Klaus reached in the backseat and pulled a blood bag out of the cooler and handed it to Caroline. Not taking her eyes off the road, she pulled the plug off of the bag with her teeth, emptying the bag in less than a minute. "More, please," Caroline said as she tossed the empty bag to the floor. Klaus frowned slightly as he eyed Caroline warily.

"Easy, Love. You just went on a binge. You don't want to overdo it." Caroline rolled her eyes and extended her hand out to Klaus, palm up.

"More," Caroline said firmly. Klaus hesitated for a moment before reluctantly reaching into the cooler for another bag. Once the bag came into Caroline's peripheral, she quickly snatched it out of Klaus' hand and sucked that one dry as well. Caroline frowned as she threw the empty bag to the backseat. Klaus raised an eyebrow at Caroline's sudden appearance of disappointment.

"Something the matter, Love?" Klaus asked as he eyed Caroline curiously. Caroline shrugged and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.

"There's something wrong with those blood bags. I'm still hungry." Klaus smiled and shook his head slightly. She really had no clue that she had begun the decent to The Dark Side.

"It's not the bags, Love, it's you" Klaus said. Caroline turned her head with raised brow, clearly not grasping what Klaus was telling her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked slightly defensive. Klaus sighed quietly and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You very recently drained the life out of half a dozen people, Caroline. God only knows when the last time was that you actually fed off the flesh. You're natural vampire instinct is trying to take over, causing your body to crave the real stuff, rather than these," Klaus said as he tossed another blood bag onto Caroline's lap. Caroline quickly snatched it up and drank the red liquid. Caroline was used to having control over her urges, but at this point the urges were obviously controlling her. Caroline tossed the third empty bag and looked at Klaus suddenly feeling a little helpless.

"What do I do?" Caroline asked quietly. Klaus, feeling a little bit sorry for the girl, rubbed her thigh comfortingly.

"You have to control the hunger, Caroline. You can do it. You've done it for years already." Caroline nodded as she let out a breath that she wasn't aware she had been holding in.

xXx

"We're here," Klaus said as the GPS directed Caroline to pull into the driveway of a small house. On the lawn was a sign, 'Madame Elisa – Fortune Teller'. Caroline rolled her eyes as she cut the engine.

"Madame Elisa? Fortune Teller? This is your all-powerful witch Klaus?" Klaus merely shrugged before stepping out of the car.

"It's how she makes a living, Love," Klaus said quietly as he gently pressed his hand to her lower back and led her to the front door. Before they even stepped foot on the porch, the front door swung open, revealing an older woman with long wavy grey hair and a caramel complexion.

"Nik, it's so good to see you again," Elisa said with a warm smile.

"Elisa, it's been too long. I'd like you to meet Caroline," Klaus said as he nudged Caroline closer to the witch. Caroline extended her hand and smiled politely. Elisa gently took her hand and smiled.

"I've heard so much about you," Elisa said. Caroline shrugged slightly.

"There's not much to say, really, but it's a pleasure to meet you," Caroline said as she pulled her hand from the witch's grasp.

"Well let's get started shall we. Please come in," Elisa said as she led the pair into her home.

The home was cozy enough, filled with antique furniture. The walls were painted a coral pink, while brass table lamps offered a warm glow. Elisa led them into a small room in the back of the home, offering Klaus and Caroline to sit on a cream colored sofa while she stood next to a table. On the table laid an old grimoire along with a couple of candles that were lit, a large ceramic bowl, and a shiny silver knife. Klaus held onto Caroline's hand loosely while Elisa read quietly to herself from the grimoire. After a few minutes, the witch raised her head and smiled at Caroline.

"Come here please, Caroline. I'm ready to begin." Klaus squeezed Caroline's hand reassuringly before letting go. Caroline stood and walked over to the table, taking her position next to the witch. Elisa gently took Caroline's hand, taking a silver knife from the table she turned Caroline's hand over so that it was palm up and sliced through her skin. Caroline didn't blink as Elisa drew blood from her hand then held it over the ceramic bowl so that the blood dripped down into it. The witch began to speak in Latin as she picked up one of the lit candles and let the hot wax drip into the bowl along with the blood. Caroline began to feel dizzy as the spell continued and the magic wove its way around her body. Gripping onto the table with her free hand she struggled to remain composed. The witch's words became louder as she got deeper into the spell and Caroline felt her hand slipping from the table as her mind started to go black. Suddenly she felt herself falling backwards, in the fog she could hear Klaus yell just before her body hit the floor. In her state of unconsciousness Caroline could feel a dark powerful force pull down on her. Caroline struggled to pull away from it and slowly her mind began to clear.

"Caroline, Love, wake up please," Klaus said in a pained voice as he cradled her head in his lap. Blinking, Caroline opened her eyes and tried to focus on Klaus' face. Sighing in relief, Klaus leaned down and kissed Caroline's forehead.

"What happened?" Caroline asked, her voice cracking slightly. Klaus gingerly helped Caroline up into a sitting position then onto her feet after a moment or two. Caroline eyed Elisa who had a strained look of concern etched across her face.

"There's a powerful witch on the Other Side. Her magic is very dark. She tried to pull you over, Caroline," Esther said as she looked at Caroline seriously. Klaus sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Esther," Klaus mumbled through gritted teeth. Elisa nodded slowly.

"Well, did the spell work or not?" Caroline asked the witch. Elisa smiled thinly.

"It worked," Elisa said simply. Caroline sighed in relief.

"I'm going to wait outside, I need some air," Caroline said as she turned and walked out of the room. Elisa turned to Klaus with a look of concern.

"I know that you said the girl is full of light, but there is darkness around her so thick that I can't see that light Klaus." Klaus nodded slowly as he sat back down on the sofa.

"The incident in Georgia, what held us up, it damaged her," Klaus said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"What happened, Nik?" Elisa asked as she took a seat beside him.

"We were out, and this group of werewolves attacked us. Caroline never feeds off of humans, and she most certainly doesn't kill," Klaus took in a ragged breath. "Well she did both that night and when I returned to her after cleaning up the mess I noticed that she wasn't acting like herself." Klaus paused for a long moment before speaking again. "She's turned her humanity off Elisa, and I don't know how to fix it." Klaus slumped forward, his forearms resting on his thighs, defeated.

"You're going to have to find a way Nik. It seems that Esther is aware of Caroline's situation and is trying to take full advantage of it," Elisa said. Klaus nodded and stood.

"Well, I appreciate your help, as always," Klaus said. Elisa stood and hugged Klaus tightly.

"Take care of her. She's in a delicate position right now," Elisa said before letting go. Klaus exited the witch's home feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. Caroline was sitting in the SUV, waiting patiently for Klaus, no emotion traceable on her face.

"Where are we going now?" Caroline asked as she fished in the cooler for another blood bag.

"We'll find a hotel, and figure out what our next step is tomorrow," Klaus said as he started the ignition and headed for the heart of New Orleans. A feeling of despair and desperation overwhelming him as he drove.


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N – OK I know it's been way too long since this story has been updated and I truly apologize for my neglect. I have no excuse other than that I have been having way too much fun with my Daroline fic Happily Never After. But I digress – and it's back to business. This chapter has some adult themes and subsequently changed the rating of this story from 'T' to 'M' so if you're sensitive to these topics I would suggest you stop now. If you're not sensitive to the adult themes then I urge you to read on as I begin to explore Dark Caroline. As always reviews, are love! Laters, T-**_

XV

The hotel in New Orleans proved to be much nicer than the shit hole in Georgia. Klaus had arranged for one room once again with separate beds, however this time Caroline didn't object. Few words had been spoken between the pair since they left Elisa's and Klaus was becoming increasingly worried over Caroline's passiveness. Laying on his bed in the dark Klaus mulled over the recent events while Caroline showered. Fifteen minutes later Caroline stepped out of the bathroom sans towel or robe, her wet hair clinging to her back. Klaus' breath hitched at the sight of the naked vampire and quickly shut his eyes pretending to be asleep as Caroline crossed the room. Instead of going to her own bed, Klaus was surprised to feel his bed shift under the added weight as Caroline stealthily crawled onto it so that she was on top of Klaus on her hands and knees. Klaus opened his eyes and gazed at Caroline curiously.

"Caroline," Klaus began but was quickly forced silent as Caroline lowered her mouth onto his, entrapping him in a passionate kiss. Klaus could not resist the temptation and quickly wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her body down onto his as he deepened the kiss. Breaking the kiss, Caroline quickly pulled Klaus' shirt off and lightly placed kisses down his neck, then chest, then lower still down his stomach until her mouth was just above the waist of his pants. Klaus moaned quietly as Caroline unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and pulled them along with his underwear off of him.

"Caroline," Klaus tried again as she slid her still wet body slowly back up the plank of his body.

"Shh," Caroline hushed as she expertly slid Klaus' shaft inside of her causing Klaus to moan and arch his back in response. Caroline tossed her head back as she slowly moved her hips into a steady rhythm. Klaus licked his lips as he slid his hands up Caroline's body, cupping her breasts in his hands as he let Caroline set the pace of their love making. Caroline moved her hands up to Klaus' and roughly squeezed them against her breasts as she moaned in pleasure and began to quicken her pace. Falling forward, Caroline once again pulled Klaus into a passionate kiss, then moved her lips down his neck, licking and sucking as she moved her way down. Klaus turned his head to the side, exposing his neck further to Caroline's hot lips. Extending her fangs, Caroline sunk her teeth into his soft flesh, gently suckling his blood as he writhed in lust beneath her.

"Fuck, Caroline," Klaus growled through his teeth as he roughly pushed his hips up to meet Caroline's gyrations. Caroline sighed quietly as she pulled her fangs out of Klaus' neck and lightly flicked her tongue over the droplets of blood. Klaus grabbed onto Caroline's hips as he roughly thrust himself deep inside of her. Caroline whimpered loudly as she dug her nails into his shoulders, her body quickly reaching its peak. Klaus quickened his pace even more as he growled low in his throat, then let his body release as he felt Caroline's walls tremor around him, as she reached her own climax.

Completely spent, Caroline collapsed next to Klaus. Klaus turned on his side, nestling himself against Caroline's warm body, he wrapped his arm loosely around her and lightly kissed the top of her head.

"I love you Caroline," Klaus whispered against her hair. Caroline stiffened briefly at Klaus' words, but remained silent. Frowning slightly, Klaus lightly pressed another kiss against her hair. "Good night Love." Caroline scrunched her eyes tightly shut as she pushed the rush of emotions creeping up deep down into the pit of her stomach.

Once Caroline was sure Klaus was asleep, she carefully slid out of his embrace and climbed out of his bed. Pausing for a moment she listened carefully to make sure Klaus' breathing pattern didn't change. Satisfied that he was still asleep, Caroline quickly got dressed and packed her bag. Before leaving she grabbed a piece of paper and quickly jotted a note down and silently placed it on the pillow next to Klaus.

Exiting the hotel, Caroline turned left and began walking towards the heart of Bourbon Street. She needed a car if she was going to put a sizable distance between herself and Klaus. Lurking in a dark alleyway, Caroline spotted a middle-aged man walking towards a silver Mercedes SLK sports coupe that was parked only a few feet away from her. In a flash, Caroline was in front of the man, stopping him mid-step.

"Hi!" Caroline said cheerfully.

"Hello," the man said cautiously as he instinctively took a step back, surprised by Caroline's sudden appearance. "Where did you come from?" He asked as looked around the alley. Caroline shrugged as she took another step closer to the man.

"I need your help." The man creased his brow as he looked Caroline up and down slowly.

"With what?" he finally asked. Caroline smiled sweetly as she tried to disarm the man.

"I'm going to need your car." The man frowned, than chuckled softly as he convinced himself that this was all a joke. Shaking his head he took a step, trying to maneuver around Caroline.

"Sorry, sweetheart. You're pretty, but not that pretty." Caroline quickly took a step to the side, once again blocking the man. Before he could blink, Caroline pounced, sinking her fangs into his jugular. Savagely, Caroline drained the man until he was dead. Standing up, Caroline wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and did a quick scan around the alleyway. Finding a piece of scrap metal, she picked it up and roughly slashed at the man's throat until his head was almost completely severed from the neck. Grabbing the man's keys and wallet she unlocked the doors and climbed into the Mercedes, tossing her duffel bag in the back seat. Speeding through downtown New Orleans, she quickly pulled onto the interstate and headed north.

xXx

Klaus awoke with the sun shining on his face. Groaning, he rolled over and slowly climbed out of his bed and trudged to the bathroom, clicking the TV on as he passed it. Standing in the bathroom as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, images of the night before flashed through his mind.

"Shit, Caroline," Klaus cursed to himself as he abruptly swung the bathroom door open and scanned the room for the pretty blonde. Unease washed over Klaus as he slowly stepped out of the bathroom and walked back to his bed, noticing a folded up piece of paper resting on one of the pillows. Closing his eyes, he silently tried to convince himself that it was simply a little love note telling him that she had run out for coffee and Danishes. Closing his eyes he gripped the note tightly in between his fingers as he mustered up the nerve to read the message. Opening the folded paper, Klaus hesitated for another moment before opening his eyes.

_Please don't try to find me._

_-Caroline_

Klaus sat on the edge of his bed as he stared at the letter in his hand. Suddenly, the news that was blaring from the TV caught his attention.

_"There are reports this morning of a murder on Bourbon Street that occurred late last night. Forty-five year old Michael Cane was found dead in an alley way early this morning. His head nearly decapitated from the rest of his body in a brutal slashing. His car, a silver Mercedes SLK was stolen, along with the man's wallet. Police are currently at the scene, investigating the murder."_

Klaus quickly reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. Finding Stefan's number he pressed dial.

_"Klaus."_

"Stefan, we have a situation. Caroline left," Klaus said as he paced around the hotel room.

_ "That doesn't exactly sound like a situation Klaus. She told me she was going to leave as soon as the spell was done." _Klaus winced at Stefan's words and roughly raked his fingers through his hair.

"That may be the case Stefan, however Caroline is not stable right now and I need to find her before anyone else dies." There was a long pause before Stefan spoke again.

_"What do you mean Klaus?" _Klaus took a deep breath in as he struggled to remain calm. He was wasting precious time but he knew he was going to need Stefan's help if he was going to find Caroline.

"We ran into a situation in Georgia Stefan. Caroline shut off her humanity."

_"She did what?"_ Stefan yelled through the receiver.

"There are reports on the news of a murder. I have a feeling it was Caroline. I need to find her before she kills again. I'm asking for your help Stefan." Klaus chewed on his lower lip as he anxiously awaited Stefan's answer.

_"Where are you?"_

"New Orleans."

_"I'll be there in a few hours."_ And with that the phone went dead.


	16. Chapter 16

XVI

It had been two weeks since Caroline fled from Klaus. Stefan and Klaus had been tailing Caroline up the Mississippi River as she moved north, leaving a trail of bodies behind her. Each murder victim followed the same M.O. All were male, mostly middle-aged, completely drained of blood and nearly if not completely decapitated. Each time Caroline would steal their wallet and their car, making it pretty easy to follow the blonde vampire from a safe distance.

"She's not being very discreet in her method of attack," Klaus said as he stood behind Stefan who was searching the internet for news of any more attacks. The pair was currently holed up in a small motel in Missouri after an attack in Jefferson City a little over 24 hours ago.

"No, she's not. It seems that she is being a true ripper," Stefan mumbled as he kept his eyes glued to laptop monitor. "Wait, I think I got something," Stefan said with a little more liveliness causing Klaus to lean forward and scan the article that Stefan had found. "Looks like three bodies were found in Joliet Illinois," Stefan said as he quickly read the article for any further details.

"Three bodies?" Klaus questioned as he straightened back up and took a sip of his coffee. "That doesn't sound like Caroline. She's never killed more than one person at a time." Stefan shook his head slightly as he continued to read the article.

"It's gotta be Caroline. It says that two of the bodies were completely drained of blood," Stefan murmured as his forehead creased with concern. "I think something went wrong," he finished as he turned and looked up at Klaus.

"Does it say anything about the third victim?" Klaus asked as he drew his hand over his face. Several different scenarios were racing through his mind at the moment and none of them were good.

"It says the third victim's heart was ripped out." Klaus began to pace around the small hotel room, his anxiety quickly growing.

"This sounds like it was defensive rather than offensive," Klaus said as he circled around for the third time.

"You think she was attacked?" Stefan asked as he raked his fingers through his hair. Klaus stopped mid-step and slowly turned to toward Stefan, his jaw tight as he clenched his fists.

"Yes. And she could be hurt." Stefan rubbed his hands over his face as he turned his attention back to the laptop. Klaus didn't need to say it. It was obvious what he meant. _Werewolves_.

"Joliet is just south of Chicago. If she is hurt I think I know where we can find her."

xXx

Caroline stumbled into Stefan's old apartment just as the sun was setting. He had taken her here once before during their travels so he could show her the dark side of him, the ripper side. Going straight to the hidden closet, Caroline slid the door open and grabbed a bottle of almost century old bourbon. Opening the bottle, she took a long swig before sitting on the floor and rested her head against the wall. After a couple of moments she gathered up the courage to lift up her shirt and inspect the wound. Delicately she grabbed the hem of her shirt and slowly pulled it up revealing a wolf bite on the left side of her waist. Breathing heavily through her nose she clenched her teeth as she lightly pressed the pads of her fingers against the wound causing her to wince in pain.

"_Fuck_," Caroline hissed through her teeth as the pain from her touch radiated throughout her body. Once the pain slowly ebbed away Caroline pulled her shirt back down and took another long drink from the bottle of bourbon as she looked at the all names on Stefan's wall. Slowly she stood and walked out to where the bed was. Rummaging through the nightstand she found a pen and went back into the closet. Pulling the cap off with her teeth she quickly wrote down the names of her victims on the opposite wall.

_Michael Cane_

_Brad Cooper_

_Chris Rider_

_Steven Welsh_

_Joseph Scott_

_Eric Austin_

It was only six, but as the guilt of each murder weighed heavily on Caroline's heart it felt more like a million. It didn't take long after the wolf bite for Caroline's humanity switch to come back on. The venom from the bite made it impossible to keep it off. Rubbing her eyes she leaned back against the wall and continued to drink while she waited for the hallucinations to start and for death to finally take her.

xXx

"You're sure she's here?" Klaus asked as they approached the old apartment building.

"She's here," Stefan said as he fished for the key to the main door of the building.

"You brought her here before?" Klaus asked with raised brow as Stefan slid the key into the lock and opened the door.

"Yes," Stefan said simply as they began their assent up the stairs to his old apartment.

xXx

Caroline opened her eyes slowly and struggled to focus on the voices coming from just outside the apartment door. She was probably imagining it but she swore she could here Stefan's voice, and footsteps, and whose voice is that? _Klaus….._ Caroline groaned as she brushed the back of her hand against her sweaty forehead and raised a freshly opened bottle of whiskey to her lips.

"Caroline!" Stefan half yelled as he quickly approached her and squatted down to her level. "Are you okay?" He asked more quietly as he lightly brushed his thumb over her cheek and down to her chin, gently turning her head so that he could see her face. Caroline licked her dry chapped lips as she tried to focus her eyes on Stefan's face.

"Stefan…." Caroline whispered but that was all she could get out as a wave of pain shot through her body causing her to hiss through her teeth.

"You're hurt," Stefan said urgently as he quickly surveyed her body, noticing the dried blood on her shirt. Carefully he pulled the shirt up exposing the severely infected wolf bite.

"Let me see her Stefan," Klaus said from behind him. Stefan nodded slightly and lightly placed a kiss on her cheek before standing and stepping out of the way.

"Klaus…." Caroline whimpered as he came into her line of sight, kneeling down in front of her.

"Hello Love," Klaus said smoothly as he smiled at Caroline, showing his dimples. "Let me see," he continued as he pushed Caroline's shirt up exposing the wolf bite. "How long have you been here Caroline?" Caroline closed her eyes tightly as the air hit the wound.

"A day, I think….I don't know," Caroline said after swallowing hard. Klaus nodded as he pulled the sleeve of his shirt up and bit into his wrist.

"Here Love, drink," Klaus said moving so that he was sitting next to Caroline, holding his bloody wrist in front of her to take. Caroline closed her eyes tightly and shook her head a couple of times.

"No Klaus. I'm not going to let you save me again," Caroline said determinedly through her teeth as she pushed away his arm. "I've killed innocent people. I don't deserve to be saved. I deserve to die." Klaus frowned slightly as he gently wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body closer to his.

"I'm sorry Love, but you don't get a say in the matter," Klaus said as he wrapped Caroline's hair around his hand and pushed her mouth onto the bite. Caroline groaned as her fangs elongated and she feebly struggled to get out of Klaus' grip but she was too weak and the scent of his blood was overpowering. With tears streaming down her cheeks she bit down onto Klaus' wrist, drinking in his life force. "That's a good girl," Klaus murmured as he loosened his grip on Caroline's hair and gently began to stroke it instead.

_**A/N – I'm sorry that the breaks between chapters have been so long. This is the last chapter before the Epilogue. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you for all of your support, it means a lot. T-**_


	17. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

It had been six months since Stefan and Klaus found Caroline half-dead in Chicago. After taking a couple of days to heal and get her strength back she packed up what little belongings she had and left with Stefan. He promised to help her regain control, to get a hold of her humanity. Klaus begrudgingly agreed and promised to stay away while she rehabbed with Stefan.

They headed back to Mystic Falls on a morning flight. Stefan offered her any of the guest bedrooms at the Boarding House but she often found herself in his bed late at night; too scared to be left alone with nightmares that were all too real. They went hunting in the woods and Stefan taught her the art of self-control all over again. Much like the first time, Caroline was a fast learner and was catching on quickly. Granted, the animal blood tasted horrible, worse than she ever remembered, but Stefan didn't trust her with human blood yet, even if it did come from a plastic bag. The insomnia was the worst. Even when she lay with Stefan she often found it difficult to fall asleep. It left her drained and moody and Stefan often found himself worrying for his friend.

It was one of those sleepless nights that Caroline found herself standing in the woods barefoot in a gray cotton nightgown, staring up at the moon as she silently pleaded for her restless mind to go quiet so she could finally get some rest. Blame it on the lack of sleep, but she failed to hear heavy footsteps slowly approach her, stopping only a couple of feet behind her.

Klaus could feel his heart rise up to his throat at the vision before him; Caroline standing barefoot in nothing but a cotton nightgown, her hair down, the moon lighting up her golden tresses and porcelain skin almost making her appear to glow. He was surprised when she didn't turn at the sound of his approach, even more surprised that she didn't seem to notice his presence at all. Finally, after a couple of minutes, he crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat.

"Having trouble sleeping Love?" Caroline squealed and almost jumped out of her skin. Turning quickly, she saw the face that habitually haunted her when she was granted a few hours of sleep.

"Klaus…" Caroline breathed his name as she struggled to come to grip with the fact that he was actually here, standing in front of her, looking pompous as ever.

"You look beautiful tonight Caroline," Klaus said smoothly as he uncrossed his arms and took a couple steps closer to where she stood. Caroline instinctively, defensively, wrapped her arms around herself as the distance closed between them.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline whispered, swallowing thickly as she fought the urge to take a step back, away from the man that seemed to know her all too well.

"I wanted to check on you. Make sure you were alright." Klaus halted his advancing steps, noticing the edge in Caroline's stance, afraid that she would flee into the night.

"Well, I'm fine," Caroline said with as much conviction as she could muster, which really wasn't much at all, and she was sure Klaus wasn't fooled. Klaus shrugged and tilted his head to the side slightly as he let his eyes rake over her slowly.

"I've surmised as much from the reports that I've been getting from Stefan, but I wanted to see for myself." Caroline's eyes widened at the realization that Klaus had been checking on her the whole time that they'd been apart and she didn't even know it.

"You've been checking up on me?" Caroline asked as she eyed Klaus curiously. Klaus smiled warmly causing Caroline to let out a huff of air that she wasn't even aware she had been holding.

"Of course Love," Klaus said softly as he once again took a step closer to where she stood. Caroline felt her body start to relax as the distance between them shrunk and she couldn't help but wonder if _he_ was all that she needed to get the peace that she desired. Caroline let her arms fall to her sides as Klaus closed the gap between them and carefully, gingerly, tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. Caroline couldn't help but lean into his gentle touch and take in a shaky breath as a tear escaped down her cheek. Klaus frowned and lightly rubbed the tear off her cheek with his thumb. "Why are you crying Caroline?"

"I-I don't know," she said lamely, still feeling his gentle touch against her cheek as he slowly inched his face closer to hers. "I-I'm just tired." Klaus' brow creased as he searched her eyes, for what he wasn't sure. He hated seeing her look like this; tired and broken and lost. He knew it was partly his fault and he wanted nothing more to spend the rest of his days fixing it, fixing her.

"I appreciate what Stefan is doing for you here, but I don't think he gives you enough credit. You're strong Caroline, even stronger than me I believe. And I fear that what is plaguing you is a matter of your heart, not your bloodlust." Caroline chewed on her bottom lip as she looked up at Klaus. She couldn't help but feel that what he said was true. She'd been with Stefan for six months and this was the first time that she felt any semblance of peace.

Klaus ran his thumb over her jawline and up to her mouth, gently tugging on her bottom lip until it was free from her teeth. Caroline felt her heart pounding against her ribcage as Klaus slowly lowered his mouth until it was on hers and he was kissing her lightly. Instinctively Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as she opened her mouth against his, deepening the kiss. Klaus couldn't help but groan deep in his throat as Caroline pressed her body against his and kissed him frantically. She could no longer pretend that Klaus had no effect on her. Her mind, body, heart, and soul _needed_ this, needed _him_. Klaus groaned again as he forced himself to regain control of the situation and as gently as he could, pried Caroline off of him and held her at arms' length.

"Easy, Love. This is really not the best place to be doing this," Klaus said with a lopsided grin as he eyed her flushed cheeks and wanton eyes. Caroline huffed as she pulled her arms out of his hands and turned so that her back was to him.

"I'm sorry…I just don't know, anymore, anything really." Caroline stumbled over her words as she ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated, because what she really wanted to say _'I love you and I need you and please forgive me for leaving you' _was just not an option for her. Not at this moment anyway. She could hear Klaus take a step closer to her causing her to turn once again so that she was facing him.

"You're overthinking it Caroline. What does your heart tell you?" Caroline flailed her arms as she looked at Klaus helplessly. Klaus merely raised his brow as he awaited her answer. Finally with a huff and a sigh Caroline let her heart speak for the first time in a very very long time.

"My heart tells me that I love you; that I _need_ you. That I am never going to be OK unless you're with me. And it's so pathetic, because _really_? I should _hate_ you! You never listen to me; you're always trying to control me. You've killed people that I cared for, that I loved, and for whatever crazy stupid reason, it _doesn't_ _matter_. None of it." Caroline took in a deep breath as Klaus eyed her curiously, then quickly closed the distance between them once again, pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss. Caroline wiggled against him as she struggled to break free, finally managing to pull her mouth away. "I'm not done," Caroline breathed; her mouth only centimeters from his.

"I don't want to hear another word if it's only going to erase everything that you just said," Klaus said lowly. Caroline smiled sweetly and rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you're here."

The End.

_**A/N – OK so that's it! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you guys for sticking with this story and showing me so much support for it. This was my first fan-fic ever, so it definitely holds a special place in my heart, and even though you can pretty much ship Caroline with anyone and everyone, I do believe that Klaroline is my OTP even if it is a ship that is destined to sink into the abyss, but hey you never know. Anywho, I hope this met your expectations, and I'm sorry if it didn't. Please review, cause you know, I love your reviews. Laters, T-**_


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